Full text of "Unofficial letters of an official's wife"

See other formats

This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project
to make the world's books discoverable online.

It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject
to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books
are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.

Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the
publisher to a library and finally to you.

Usage guidelines

Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to
prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.

We also ask that you:

+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for
personal, non-commercial purposes.

+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the
use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.

+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.

+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just
because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other
countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.

About Google Book Search

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web

at |http : //books . google . com/

II I HUH I mill

3 3433 08243827

AL LETTERS

F AN OEFICLU'S WIFE

EDITH MOSES

oogle

Digitized by VjOOQIC

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS
OF AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS
OF AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

EDITH MOSES

NEW YORK" ■••■''
APPLETON AND COMPANY
1908

Digitized by

Google

THE riEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY

584075A

ASTOR, LENOX AND

TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

R 1932 L

PuhUahed October, 1908

..• •. .•!,-•-

Digitized by

Google

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. — ^FiRST Impressions i

II. — ^Beginning Housekeeping in Manila . . 12

III. — ^A Visit in Apaltt 51

IV. — ^The Routine . 70

V. — ^The Southern Trip 92

VI. — Manila Society 147

VII. — ^A Winter in Manila 181

VIII. — ^In the Wilds of Benguet . . . . 228

IX. — ^The Return from the Mountains . . 299

X. — ^An Outing in Batangas 321

XI, — Characteristics of the Filipinos . . . 344

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF
AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Manila Bat, June $, 1900.

HERE we are. The long journey of forty-six
days is ended and we are anchored in Manila
Bay, two and a half miles from the shore. At this
distance the city is only a shining white line between
the blue water and the bluer sky. Hot? You never
imagined the real meaning of that word, and yet
the thermometer marks only ninety-nine; the moist
atmosphere makes it seem many degrees higher.
Thin clothing and excitement are helping us to
bear the heat, for there is a sense of exhilaration in
the thought that we are at last in Oriental America.
We slept on deck last night to be ready for the
sight of land at the first glimmer of daylight. At
four o'clock I was up and dressed watching the
faint outlines of the coast range. The sky was
cloudless and the sea like glass. The atmosphere
was suffused with the soft dove color tinted with

Qf^ Digitized by GoOglC

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

pink which precedes the break of day. Even at
that early hour the air was tepid. As we ap-
proached the bay, on our left the headlands rose
gradually to the Mariveles Mountains: on our
right the coast line was low. Almost dividing the
entrance to Manila Bay stood Corregidor Island.
Vessels usually go in by the Boca Chica, or small
mouth, to the north of Corregidor. The American
squadron passed in through the Boca Grande, or
big mouth, on the memorable first of May. We
could see the small island from which the Spanish
batteries fired futile shots as Dewey stole by in the
darkness. Cavite and the spars and hulls of sunken
Spanish warships were pointed out to us by Mr.
Worcester, who apparently feels as if he were on his
native heath again. The sun rose, a great red ball
of fire, and we felt its penetrating rays before it
had left the horizon. We came to anchor at half
past seven.

At nine o'clock a big steam launch came along-
side bringing a large delegation of Filipinos to wel-
come the Commission. We all crowded to the rail
for the first glimpse of our new fellow-citizens.
They stood on the deck of the launch as it ap-
proached, smiling and .raising their hats and waving
their hands with the unAnglo-Saxon gesture used
in greeting by all the Latin races. They were
dressed in frock coats with high hats, and under
the tropical sun I could imagine no more uncom-

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

fortable or unsuitable dress. In a few moments
they came on board; the judges of the Supreme
Court, leaders of the pro-American Filipinos, and
a number of ex-members of Aguinaldo's Malolos
Cabinet. Their manners struck me at once as notice-
ably polished. They were not handsome, but were
as intelligent looking a party of men as one would
meet anywhere. They reminded me strongly of
the Mexicans in face and figure. All spoke Span-
ish, several had a good knowledge of French, and
one or two of the younger men knew a little Eng-
lish. After the introductions were over, the Presi-
dent of the Commission made a speech of wel-
come, which the Secretary of the Commission
interpreted. His rendering of Judge Taft's cordial
Anglo-Saxon greeting to our Filipino friends was
a masterpiece. It had all the elegance and stateli-
ness of the grand Spanish manner and yet conveyed
the impression of being sincere and from the heart.
The delegation was evidently immensely pleased
with its reception. I met several of the judges and
a physician who had played a conspicuous part in
the insurrection, but who now are apparently in
sympathy with the Americans. They were lively
and enthusiastic, a likeable type.

There has been a continual coming and going
all day long of American officials and army officers.
After luncheon the Commission returned the mili-
tary governor's call. They reported an escort of

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

soldiers and all the adjuncts of a military reception.
Their only comment on the affair was, " hot." It is
now nearly ten o'clock in the evening. The stars
seem larger in America, but the Southern Cross
is not as wonderful as poets and romancers make it.
Looking toward the land the lights twinkle along
shore and on the Luneta, which " our oldest inhab-
itant,'* as we call Mr. Worcester, has just pointed
out to us. To-morrow we shall go on shore to
select the houses available for our use.

Jtine 4, 1900.

WE have spent the day in town engaged in the
tiring but interesting occupation of selecting
" suitable houses/' and I think it is the general
feeling on board the Hancock to-night that there
are not any answering to that description. The
high military officers already occupy the best avail-
able houses in town, and those not occupied leave
very little room for choice. They were certainly
not the palaces report and our imagination had
pictured them. The one Judge Taft will probably
take looks forlorn enough now with the magenta
wall paper detached from the ceiling, a dry, un-
kempt lawn in front, and only three bedrooms on
the main floor. Spaniards, you know, sleep in fam-
ily bedrooms. Don't you remember the father,
mother, and six children who all occupied the same
room in the City of Mexico? One of these bed-

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

rooms is large enough to hold the whole Taft fam-
ily and attendants. The furniture is old and ant-
eaten, and the whole place is dirty and neglected.

At first we were very solemn and downcast, but
the amusing side fortunately came uppermost, and
after expressing his views the judge suddenly ex-
claimed, " Not quite up to your ideal, is it?" and
btirst into one of his infectious laughs, in which we
joined. Fortunately we have the " same taste in
jokes." I confess to one great disappointment. In
imagining my tropical home I had always pictured
the cool patio with its handsome grille on the street
and a fountain with palms and plants, just as I had
seen them in Seville. Not a house we saw to-day
had a patio. The Worcesters are moving into a
house Mr. Worcester occupied when he was here
before, and they seem quite satisfied, but they also
have their woes; for one of Mr. Worcester's be-
loved Filipinos, a trusted muchacho, decamped with
Mrs. Worcester's watch a few hours after their
arrival. We are considering a modest dwelling
which has two advantages. It is on the bay shore,
and the sala, or drawing room, is ceiled in native
mahogany. The entrance is, in my opinion, dis-
reputable, for it is through the stable. The quarter-
master captain who escorted us about assures me
that I shall soon become used to this feature of the
Manila house, but I hope I shall not. The fact that
our houses are not the palaces we expected does not

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

lessen my feeling that I shall like Manila immensely.
The town and its inhabitants are even more pictur-
esque than I had imagined. The walled city of
which I had a fleeting glimpse is quite mediaeval,
and I long to explore its narrow streets with over-
hanging balconies. There is a pinkish cathedral,
with a suggestion of Moorish Spain in its roof, and
a plaza filled with flaming fire trees blazing in the
intense sunlight.

June 5, 1900.

WE went on shore this morning to make the
final arrangements for our house. It was as
hot as ever, and as we steamed on shore in the
Hancock's launch the town seemed to swim in the
quivering air. Tondo Church was pointed out to us.
It is quite a conspicuous landmark from the trans-
port. Fort Santiago and the walled city detached
themselves from the indefinite background as we
approached the shore.

The Pasig River must have determined the situ-
tion of Manila, for certainly the site of the town
has no other advantages. The harbor is exposed
to typhoons, and large ocean vessels cannot come
within two miles of the shore. Small coasting
steamers run up the river as far as the Bridge of
Spain. The river was full of new and picturesque
life. Great flat-bottomed barges, called cascos, lay
in the stream and. alongshore. They are gayly
painted, red and blue, in a strange design. You

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

should have seen the little naked babies gazing at
us with round eyes, holding to the red skirts of their
soft-eyed mothers. The natives live on their cascos
as the Chinese do in their river boats, but a Virgin
and a lighted taper in the prow take the place of the
goggle eyes of the Chinese junk in keeping off evil
influences. On every casco I saw a fighting cock.
He was either tied by his leg to a convenient post,
or his master squatted behind him smoothing his
plumage as our launch puffed by. Life on a casco
is surely not dull.

Beside the cascos there were little canoes, called
bancas, shooting about in the water in most dan-
gerous proximity to our launch. Half a dozen na-
tives were always crowded in these little dugouts,
which were propelled by a -man in the stem, who
used his spoon-shaped paddle like a gondolier. At
the captain of the port's landing were a crowd of
the common people, the " gente," as they are called
wherever Spanish is used, and I saw the native with
the much abused shirt worn outside of the trousers ;
"that disgusting Filipino shirt tail," as one lady
said. I can't see how anyone can be shocked by
this eminently modest costume. Freshly ironed and
neatly pleated it looked cool and gave the wearer
an air of great neatness. There were all sorts of
shirts in the crowd that had gathered to see us
land; some were of gauze woven in fancy stripes,
others were handsomely embroidered down the front.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

All the men wore hats ; some were of straw, others
of felt or bamboo. The women wore red skirts and
a chemise, over which was a wide-sleeved loose
waist of a gauzy material like mosquito netting.
Their heads were either bare or tied up in blue cot-
ton handkerchiefs. Several balanced closed um-
brellas on their heads; others carried mats, flat
baskets of food, or jars of water. One woman
strode along with a cigarette in her mouth and a
small coffin on her head.

The gait of all the women is peculiar. With their
shoulders thrown back, the chest and abdomen
thrust forward, they marched along, ungainly but
independent. The majority were barefooted, but
several clattered about in wooden clogs very like
those worn by the Japanese. The streets were full
of new and strange vehicles. A two-wheeled box-
like conveyance, called a quilez, was drawn by one
pony that seemed always on the point of being
lifted in the air by the ill-balanced load of natives
packed in the interior. The calesa, a two-wheeled
phaeton, seemed to be more aristocratic, as the pony
was driven by the owner. A small half-clad boy
could be seen behind balancing himself on a little
seat, his bare legs dangling in the air. The carro-
mattas were again more plebeian, and had stiff tops.
The driver sat on a small box almost between the
shafts. The public carromattas and quilez were
all in a shockingly dirty condition, and their drivers

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

were ragged and reckless. The streets were filled
with victorias^ barouches, and ancient, worn-out,
old-fashioned constructions.

The Escolta, the principal thoroughfare of Ma-
nila, was crowded and at times blocked with these
vehicles. There was a miserable little tram drawn
by diminutive ponies; and carabaos, uncouth, long-
homed, and terrifying, dragged heavy carts at a
snail's pace among shouting and yelling drivers
of lighter vehicles. I saw the better class of natives
on the Escolta. The Spanish type was noticeable.
Pretty girls in lace mantillas, the darker mestizas,
in gay skirts and bright-colored, wide-sleeved, ca-
misas or waists, and embroidered handkerchiefs,
were shopping in the " City of Manila and Paris,"
or in the " Gateway of the Sun." The elderly du-
enna accompanied the Spanish girls, but the mes-
tizas seemed to flock together apparently without
chaperons. White-garbed civilians, a few pale-
faced Americans, crowds of soldiers in the attract-
ive uniform of the tropics, white duck and brass
buttons, made the scene full of interest.

The residence portion of Manila, as we saw it,
was a succession of country roadways; handsome
houses were jostled by nipa shacks; canals filled
with laundry women and naked babies invaded
aristocratic quarters. There was but one street of
uniformly good houses. This was the Calle General
Solano leading to the governor-general's palace.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Of this rambling low structure we caught only a
glimpse as we drove past it. We finished our day
on shore with a drive around the Luneta and saw
Manila society in full force, driving slowly around
the band stand or racing up and down the Malecon
drive. It is surprising how rapidly the little ponies
carry one over the ground, although they are scarce-
ly bigger than burros. The Malecon looks out
across the bay to Mariveles and Corregidor, and is
a delightfully cool place after a hot day. At the
end of the drive is the Anda monument, an ugly
and unimposing memorial to the Spanish governor
who opposed the English in 1762, when they gained
possession of the Philippines.

Fort Santiago looked mediaeval but not imposing.
They tell me there are secret dungeons and torture
chambers behind the gray walls. One of the Fili-
pinos who came out to see us yesterday had been
confined by the Spaniards in an underground prison
in the city wall, where he stood several days in
water a foot or more deep. Neither the fort nor the
walled city is a defense for Manila, but both are
picturesque, and the drawbridges and bastioned
gates are in a perfect state of preservation. Think
of America in possession of the finest walled city
now intact 1

The sun was setting as we drove over the Bridge
of Spain, the lamps were lighted and a continuous
procession of vehicles was crossing it, which made

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

progress slow. On the right bank a row of white
balconied houses hung over the river and a cocoa-
nut palm swayed on the light breeze, which came
dow^n the river as the sun set. There were tables
on the balconies, and squares of brilliant glass in
the windows of the Spanish Casino gave a pleasant
tropical impression to the scene. To the right the
outlines of convents, domes, and towers stood in
relief against the gorgeous, golden-red sunset, and
below them and inclosing them the dark, massive
walls of the ancient city.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

BEGINNING HOUSEKEEPING IN MANILA

Manila, June ii, 1900.
TT rE have been two weeks in Manila, and have
^^ had " the hottest spell and the stormiest spell
of weather " this city has experienced in twenty
years. The hot weather was damp and prostrating,
and the change even if it came in the shape of a
typhoon was welcome. During the storm the rain
swept into all our rooms facing the bay. Our din-
ing-room floor was a small lake and we had to eat
in the front living room. I had to move from my
bedroom, for the salt spray fell on my face as I
lay in bed, driven in by the wind from the crests
of tremendous waves which came dashing against
the sea wall. Although the center of the typhoon
was off the coast some three hundred miles the tides
were unusually high. All the steamers and trans-
ports went over to Cavite, where they are protected
from the winds, and the Hancock was prevented
from sailing on Friday, the 15th. The captain went
out as far as Corregidor twice, but returned on ac-

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

count of the heavy sea. AH the nipa houses in the
neighborhood were tied down by strong ropes which
the natives threw over the roofs and pegged into
the ground.

The tin roofs rattled, and loose pieces banged and
clattered in a startling way. Still, now that it is
over and we were not blown away, house and all,
I think the typhoon must be put in the same category
with plague and the white ants. They are dan-
gerous, but not as bad as they sound. We should
call a typhoon a heavy storm.

Now I must tell you about our house and where
it is situated. We live on the shore of Manila Bay
facing Corregidor. The bay is shell shaped and is
thirty miles across. This accounts for the unsafe
harbor, as the wind sweeps in and raises tremen-
dous waves, which are likely to beach vessels on the
sandy shore. Cavite lies to our left some distance
around the bay, and opposite, at the right of Cor-
regidor, is a high mountain. The sunsets are mag-
nificent from our windows, for we look to the
west over the bay. Our house is but twenty feet
from the water and is protected from the waves
by a sea wall. The street in front of us is not very
wide, and directly opposite are nipa shacks, where
most interesting natives live. The worst feature
of the house, and one to which I am still unrecon-
ciled, is the entrance. Fancy passing through a
stable to reach one's drawing-room! There is a

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

passage from the street about twelve feet wide be-
tween our house and a small nipa hut, where half-
naked natives lean out of a window watching every-
thing coming and going with the greatest interest.
At the end of the passage are stalls for two ponies,
and I am going to put up a large sign, " Look out
for heels," because the big house door opens close
to their tails, and they are vicious little fellows.
Having passed the heels you find yourself in the
carriage and feed house, and must pick your way
between wheels, bales of hay, and bags of grain, to
the main stairway. Then you are safe and may
mount to the upper floor where we live.

Your first impression will be that we keep trained
baboons to do housework, for the probability is that
a half-naked, dark-skinned creature is rushing up
and down the hall on all fours, with big burlap
socks under his hands and feet. He is only a
monkeylike coolie who polishes the narra floors.
At one end of the hall is the dining room facing the
sea, at the other end the sitting room overlooking
the street. There is no plaster used in the interior
of the Manila houses, they are all ceiled in the
native hard wood called narra. This looks like
mahogany and takes' a fine polish, but the native
taste prefers something gay, so the beautiful wood
is either painted, or, as is usually the case, is cov-
ered with cloth, which is then frescoed in fantastic
designs. The natives are really clever at this sort

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

of decoration, and can paint aU manner of myth-
ological scenes, terraces and landscapes on your
walls, to say nothing of the Goddess of Liberty and
the American flag in a stiff breeze. This is the
latest style. Most of our walls are, unfortunately,
painted, but the living room is untouched and the
walls are of beautiful dark narra. When we moved
in there were two chandeliers hanging from the
ceiling containing an assortment of pink and blue
lamps. They have been removed, and we are hav-
ing electric lights put in by small native boys, who,
I am certain, know nothing about their business. I
have expressed my fears on this point in halting
Spanish to the contractor, but he only smiles, and
I realize that my vocabulary is limited on the tech-
nical side.

All one side of the house, that facing the street,
is window space. Sliding shutters divided into lit-
tle squares filled with flat cut shells take the place
of glass windows. The light is dim and cheerless,
but the shutters are only closed when it rains; then
the house is gloomy, and I feel homesick for we
can't see out of doors. Inside green blinds keep
out the sunshine and let in air during the day. At
night we open all the doors and windows to let in
the air, and sometimes we are awakened by a rush
of water when a sudden rain comes up. Then
everyone rushes to shut his windows. They are
large and almost always stick in the grooves, and

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

many a time I have become dripping wet before I
could shut the rain out. These windows are anathe-
ma to el Senor and Danny, for although they stick
at first, when they finally give way they let them-
selves fly and jam one^s fingers most crufelly. In
two weeks there has been more violent language
used by otherwise mild-mannered men than I ever
heard before in my life. It is especially funny to
hear Danny in the middle of the night on such
occasions, and although I am really sorry, for I know
how it hurts, I can't help laughing. One can hear
every sound in these houses, for in order to have a
circulation of air there are open spaces over all the
doors, and many of the walls are filled in at the top
with a grille. This is another feature of Manila
houses to which I object.

Last week we began cleaning and painting, and
ever since our house has been full of Filipinos who
have somehow become part of our household in this
easy-going place. I have gained quite an insight
into native character through this experience. The
Filipinos are like children and love to do every-
thing but the thing they are set to do. They run
to assist the house boys in their work; they advise
me about arranging my furniture; and insist upon
unpacking china when they are hired to paint the
walls. They are always playing tricks on each
other, and are unfailingly good-natured, but the
painting progresses very slowly; often they dis-

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

appear altogether, but come back again smiling
next day, explaining it was a fiesta. From an
ethnological standpoint this is all interesting, but
I can imagine that here is displayed one of the
race characteristics, which, after the novelty is gone,
" weareth the Christian down."

Among the pleasant features of our house is the
view from the dining-room window. There are
always large steamers loading and unloading in the
bay during fine weather. On the opposite shore
we can see Cavite, where the war ships glisten in
their white paint The Mariveles Mountains are
picturesque and bold in their outline. The natives
beach their fishing boats every morning just under
our windows and hold a free auction there about
five o'clock. You can imagine the chattering and
chaflfering. The fishermen are big, dark-skinned
fellows, and sometimes, in addition to their boat-
load of fish, they bring in great devil fishes. The
shrimp fishers with V-shaped scoop nets pass up and
down in the water in smooth weather. Sometimes
they are all men, but women and children join in
this sport. The greatest fun of all is to watch the
cocheros ride their horses into the surf for a bath.
The little ponies enjoy it as much as the boys who
ride them, and they spring over the crests of the
waves in fine style. Scttnetimes an unexpectedly
high wave takes the pony off its feet and throws
his rider, but the boy always has a fast hold of the

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

pony's neck and comes up dripping and shouting.
Not so do the small babies whose mothers take
them down for a morning bath and duck them mer-
cilessly in the water and then set them in the sun to
dry while they have a little fun themselves regard-
less of their shrieking offspring, who, having re-
covered their suspended breath, rend the air with
their protests. The young girls bathe in bevies,
like red birds. They loosen their long hair and tie
their scarlet skirts below their arms. They are a
pretty sight.

We are within three minutes of the Luneta, the
celebrated Manila drive. A military band plays
there every evening, and the carriages pass slowly
around, all driving in one direction. In Spanish
times the Archbishop's equipage was the only one
permitted to pass in the opposite direction. There
is an extension of the drive along the shore, where
everyone whips up the ponies and races with his
neighbors. The walls of the city rise above the
moat at the left and above them can be seen the
pink walls of the Augustine Convent, the towers
of churches, and the roof of the cathedral. The
drive ends at Fort Santiago and the river, where
there is plenty of native life on the cascos to be
studied. I can understand why everyone goes to
the Luneta in the evening. There is always a breeze
and there are no mosquitoes ; besides that, one meets
everyone he knows, and ladies visit in each other's

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

carriages in an informal way. I saw an amus-
ing sight the other night. Everyone was out
and there were a number of fine turnouts. Many
of the officers have their coachmen and footmen in
livery, of which the native boys are very proud.
Lorenzo, our driver, has petitioned for a suit, but
he looks so clean and natural in his flapping white
shirt and neat straw hat I hate to make him look
like a monkey in a tall hat and brass buttons. The
high boots are the most cherished possession of
a Filipino coachman, even more tenderly guarded
than his tall hat with the red-white-and-blue cock-
ade. On the evening I refer to, just in front of
us near the band stand was an unusually swell rig
belonging to a young captain whom we knew. The
coachman was as immaculate as his master. His
belt was so tight as to almost cut him in two.
The footman, a very small boy, stood attention at
the horses' heads, and the captain was devoting him-
self to a very pretty girl. Suddenly, as such things
happen in the tropics, the heavens opened and the
flood descended. It descended on the captain and
the pretty girl in her low-necked dress, but what
did that matter to the coachman and the tiger ! Was
it not descending on their hats and boots and soak-
ing their new livery with its brass buttons and belt?
In about two minutes both of these correct cocheros
had divested themselves of hats, coats, and boots
and were just about to proceed further when the

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

hand of the horrified captain descended on the in-
nocent back of the driver and stopped him from
taking oflf his trousers. I shall instruct Lorenzo,
in case I buy him a livery, to keep it on, at least
the main part of it, even if the heavens fall.

Socially Manila is very gay, and we have made
many acquaintances. With the exception of the
Filipinos our callers have been chiefly army officers
and their wives — to me a new and interesting vari-
ety of American. They are delightful people. The
women are vivacious, talkative, and always in a
rush. They find the climate " awful," but it cer-
tainly puts no visible damper on their gay spirits.
They are kind-hearted, too, and good-natured, and
I am sure will prove an adaptable type for this hot
country.

The strenuous and conscientious New Englander
would soon kill herself in her efforts to live up to
her ideals in this land of no particular standards.
Our daily life has already settled into a groove.
We take a swim in the bay before breakfast, and
after coffee, bread, and fruit, with bacon and eggs
for those who can eat them, el Senor and his sec-
retary go to the Ayuntamiento. If it does not rain
they walk, but Elena and I have not yet ventured
on foot, so we drive to the Escolta to shop, or to the
Commissary to order the groceries. We have
tiffin at half-past twelve, and then everyone goes
to bed for a siesta. El Senor and his secretary are

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

back at the Ayuntamiento by three o'clock, but no
one who is not obliged to do so goes out or maJces
calls before five o'clock. After tea we drive on the
Luneta until dinner at eight o'clock.

Last evening we dined with the chief quarter-
master and his wife, who live near us and have
been especially kind to us. The chief quartermaster
is a most important functionary in the army. I
had always thought of the army as made up of
fighting men, soldiers, and their officers, and had
no idea of the numbers of other persons connected
with it who never fight at all, but keep supply stores
and groceries, build houses, and do all sorts of other
things. There are army coal yards and butcher
shops and hospitals in Manila, and the managers
of all these departments are officers, and woe to
the innocent civilian who addresses a major-sur-
geon as doctor, or speaks of a quartermaster cap-
tain as " our coal man." The commissary corps is
the most useful and attractive in the army, from my
point of view. It keeps the grocery store, and
there we get all our supplies at a price which makes
living here possible.

I think that the butcher business must be new to
the officers, or maybe it is under the direction of
the volunteers. The allowance of each subscriber
for meat (one sends in a written application for a
certain number of pounds per diem) is qut off from
that part of the animal which happens to be under

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

the butcher's knife when his name turns up. Thus
we never know what we shall have for dinner.
Sometimes it is a fine leg of mutton or a filet of
beef, but the next day it may be soup meat, or a
chunk oflf the neck, and this usually happens when
we have company. I found the cook in despair the
other day, for a dinner party was on the programme
and he had received a yard or two of thin beef six
inches wide, which looked like a long, narrow piece
of red and white calico. If it storms we get no
meat for three or four days. Far be it from me
to complain, for we pay only six cents a pound and
the meat is good, and in town it costs from fifty
to seventy-five cents a pound. Besides, as everyone
is served in the same way, there is a certain amount
of amusement in the situation. Chickens, eggs, veg-
etables, fruit, and fish we buy in the native markets.
Lai Ting, our head boy, does this, and brings me
each night a neatly written bill he calls his " ex-
pense.*' He can write fair English, but his spelling
is pure chino. " Spinige " and " paty '' puzzled me
for some time. He always charges sixteen cents
for a " carige " in which he drives back with his
supplies. He also includes in his daily purchases
four cents' worth of " vegtibels " and twenty cents
of " pig " for the kitchen " chow." The boys do
not eat our food, but each has an allowance of one
pound of rice a day and the " pig and vegtibels."
The boys make a percentage on all they buy, but

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

as we cannot speak Tagalog, and do not know how
much things ought to cost, I am sure it is
cheaper in the end and less trouble to let them take
their squeeze. The native vegetables include peas,
beans, squashes, cucumbers, turnips, tomatoes,
sweet pepper, and a thin asparagus. The lettuce is
not bad, but we do not dare eat it. The fish market
is well supplied with many kinds of fish; a variety
like shad is especially good. Shrimps, prawns,
crabs, and lobsters abound, and a fine fat little
oyster is very delicate. Of fruits there are bananas
in many varieties, pineapples, mangoes, oranges and
several less known fruits.

Now that you see that we are not starving, I
will tell you that Manila has very good shops where
one can get any reasonable article, not always of the
very best, but good enough and not too extrava-
gant in price. We could have bought here all of
the little things of which we laid in such a store.
Hairpins are plentiful; do you remember the. gross
I brought over with me? All sorts of thin dress
materials are abundant and cheap. A friend
came here Sunday in a very pretty striped lawn
which cost, the dressmaker's bill included, only
two and a half dollars gold.

It is hot but there has been a breeze ever since
we arrived, in the morning and evening, and now
at the end of three weeks I do not notice the heat
as at first. We are not very much annoyed by ants,

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

although I do not enjoy going into the kitchen in
the evening, for the cockroaches are as big as mice.
By cleaning the floors with petroleum and putting
it around our windows we are not overrun by them,
and we hope that being so near the sea will keep
oflf these pests. We have no house snake, which I
was led to believe lived in every attic, nor have I
seen anyone selling them on street corners. A
chair in the house has been eaten by white ants, but
as that creature feeds in the dark and has to tunnel
from one place to another, I am not as terrified as
I was before I left home. It is remarkable how
persons take things for granted in this world. We
find many Americans in Manila doing queer things
because they have heard that they must do so.
Almost everywhere we go we find the dining-table
legs standing in tins of kerosene oil, and the floors
reeking with the same ill-smelling stuflf. This is
because there is a tradition that without this pre-
caution ants will run all over the table and food.
If the table be well wiped off after every meal, all
the crumbs brushed away, and no food kept in the
dining room, one need not be overrun with ants. I
must confess that these little pests are very clever.
All the kitchen tables and movable closets, where we
keep sugar and provisions, and the ice chest, stand
in kerosene tins, yet sometimes the ants make a
chain and swing themselves from the wall to the
closets. No one is shocked to see his guests picking

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

ants out of their tea cups. At first I used to
ask nervously: "What are you doing?" "Oh,
nothing, only fi$hing for ants," would be the cheer-
ful answer.

Our boys, do startling things sometimes. The
other evening Roman punch was on the menu. It
was with great difficulty I succeeded in making Lai
Ting understand that this silly custom of eating
ice in the middle of the dinner was only another
" Melica side " vagary. He was dignified and re-
served, but consented to carry out my instructions.
After we had been served with the punch I saw to
my consternation that the boys were passing the
chocolate cake to the mystified company. There
was nothing to do but beg my guests not to take it
at that stage of the dinner, and Lai Ting withdrew
it, giving me a reproachful look. " I no understand
Melica side," was his comment later. The passing
of butter and milk in the tin cans it is sold in, is
another habit, the result of tradition. It is a native
custom also. At the most elegant Filipino dinners
the butter is always floating about in a tin. My
boys have learned to make butter balls, and pour
the tinned cream into the milk jug, but one evening
Lai Ting passed cranberry sauce in the tin.
One of my friends seeing, no doubt, my disapprov-
ing expression, comforted me by saying : " Never
mind that, one can see that it has just been opened,
so we shall not be poisoned."

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

On Sunday last we had an interesting experience,
a visit to a Catholic priest living some distance
from Manila in a small town on Laguna de Bay.
We went with the health officer, his wife, and two
other army men. Judge Taft, General Wright,
and ourselves were the guests. We started at eight
o'clock from the river side and went up the Pasig
to Laguna de Bay, a large lake some fifteen miles
distant. The day was lovely, and a breeze, almost
cool, made us really comfortable for the first time
in a week. The river Pasig is not very deep or
wide or very clear, but the banks are picturesque
although low, with banana trees and palms and
rows of native houses on either side. Here and
there are large stone churches, often in ruins.

One is surprised at the few reminders of war to
be seen in Manila. I cannot think how the town
could have been bombarded with so little damage.
The native houses are built of bamboo and thatched
with nipa, a palmlike plant, and they can be easily
rebuilt, but the European residences are all unin-
jured. We saw one large church which had been
destroyed all but the walls; a large library was
burned with it. Last Sunday was St. John the
Baptist's day and the river banks were gay with
girls and women in their bright skirts, promenad-
ing back and forth. The natives have a custom of
baptizing each other on this feast day by throwing
water over one another from little black bowls,

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

or they carry squirt guns of bamboo that throw a
stream of water many feet. The small boys and
men with these bowls and sprinklers run about,
chasing girls and women, especially those with
fresh-starched dresses, squirting water over them
and calling out : ** I baptize ! I baptize ! " The
river was full of bathers doing the same thing.
We passed a wedding party in a canoe, decorated
with long wreaths of hibiscus. Beyond the low
banks and over the rice fields, dotted here and
there with banana or palm groves, we saw the blue
mountains.

The Laguna de Bay is not a pretty lake ; it is too
big. We crossed to the little port of Binangonan,
but as our tug was too large to go near the shore
we landed in dugouts, long narrow canoes hollowed
out of trees. They are easily upset, and the pas-
sengers are obliged to sit in the bottom of the
boat, and sit still. The natives paddle with oars
like large wooden spoons. When we reached the
rocky landing the padre came down to meet us, ac-
companied by the captain in charge of the garrison.
War must develop patience, for the captain was
of the nervous American type, straight nose, good
mouth, tall and spare, whose brother had been gov-
ernor of Ohio, and who had seen something of life.
He was living in the small village in a nipa hut,
commanding about fifty men, cut oflf from every-
thing and everybody. Even with company it would
3 27

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

be considered exile, but he cheerfully remarked he
" had to chase around with himself." The padre
had just come back from Manila, where he had
been three days in prison for aiding and abetting
the insurgents, but it was considered good policy
to let him go free as he was willing to take the
oath of allegiance. We went on shore between
files of soldiers, who were drawn up to salute the
Commission, and the ladies, and proceeded at once
to the padre's house.

It was the first time I had been in a nipa house.
They are built on poles about six feet from the
ground, and to get in one climbs up a frail bam-
boo ladder. The floor is made of split bamboo,
laid in such a way that there is a space between the
pieces and one can see everything going on below.
The walls are lined with matting woven of fiat split
bamboo. Of course, there can be no privacy in
such houses, and they are full of animal life. There
were two young and pretty Filipinas in the house
who could speak Spanish and who excused the
sister of the padre to us, as she was cooking dinner,
they said. This filled us with dismay, for our host-
ess had provided a hearty luncheon of ham, bis-
cuits, hard-boiled eggs, pickles, and so on, which
we had eaten just before leaving the tug. You
know how one feels after three hard-boiled eggs
and other picnic delicacies. So when we saw an
immense soup tureen appear and the table laid with

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

forks and knives we began to fear that we were
in for another, meal. The padre soon came in with
the rest of the party. We were afraid that Judge
Taft in mounting the ladder would bring down the
house, and as Elena pulled her chair to the table
the leg went through one of the cracks in the floor,
and she had to be assisted to her feet.

When dinner was announced we tried to explain
that we had dined already, but in vain. We were
compelled to seat ourselves and pretend to eat. It
was not uninteresting to taste the new dishes, and
some of the courses were very good. One blood-red
sausage skin filled with the worst-looking chopped
stuff I ever saw was really delicious. Some queer
wine was served. It was extremely hot and we
were obliged to drink the health of the " American
nation and the Filipino people, one and the same."
Speeches were made, and Judge Taft said that if
President McKinley had told him that the eating
of two dinners in the tropics within two hours was
one of the duties of his office he would have declined
the place. After dining we went to the church,
where the Commissioners further endeared them-
selves to the people by attending a cock fight in
front of the sacred edifice. Elena reported that
she had seen much livelier ones in barnyards at
home, for the cocks jumped toward each other
sidewise once or twice, gave one or two feeble
pecks, and then both ran off.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

This has been our most exciting adventure this
week, although I lost my purse yesterday. It had
two dollars and fifty cents gold in it, and was
stolen by a clerk in a shop. The shopkeeper re-
turned me the money and a new purse on my repre-
senting that it was a bad thing for his shop to have
such things happen.

Manila, July ii, 1900. '

FOR a week I have been trying to write a letter
but cannot summon energy to do so. I have be-
gun several and then have succumbed to the climate.
It is not very hot and there is a breeze through the
house all the time, but the atmosphere is damp,
warm, and clammy. The effort of moving my
hands puts me in a perspiration. Yesterday,
through the Hongkong mail, we received two let-
ters from home. We especially enjoy letters arriv-
ing between transports, for they have the added
interest of being a surprise.

Sunday we went to church for the first time.
There were eleven persons present including the
clergyman. But 6f the eleven six were men, quite
an unusual proportion from the American stand-
point. The minister was a weak brother, and I did
not wonder that his flock was small, but I learn that
he is a good man and struggles here alone without
any support. He was sent out by a board of mis-
sions, and after he had been out here a few months

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

his pay was stopped as the church work did not
flourish. In the mean time he had established a
reading room in his house, and had started sociables
and little entertainments among the soldiers. He
found some employment in town and keeps his mis-
sion going. There is a much better attended and
more interesting service in the walled city, but 1 told
Elena that we were evidently doomed to listen to
this man's aimless meandering because he was good
and poor and was delighted to see us. The Epis-
copalians are trying to build a church in Manila and
have collected over five thousand dollars toward it.
It is said that immediately the committee selects a
piece of ground and begins negotiations to buy it
the friars stop the sale. They are determined not
to let a Protestant church be built if they can pre-
vent it.

The improvements in our house are progressing
slowly. The electric lights are not yet in and the
plumbing is only half done. We have been un-
packing some of our possessions and find that they
suit our house very well. In Japan we bought
some bronzes and china, and in Hongkong we pur-
chased tables, chairs, a cabinet, and desk of black
wood. These, added to rattan chairs and sofas,
furnish our living room. Last week we heard of a
Spaniard who was selling out his goods and we
bought sixty-four plants. Among them were some
handsome palms. They are in ornamental pots and

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

lend an air of elegance to our domicile which was
wanting before. The longer we stay here the better
we like it, and when our lights are in we shall feel
quite comfortable. We are not at all lonely.
Almost every evening some one calls, and often
three or four come together. They are all army or
navy people and are pleasant and we get acquainted
with them at once.

One of the things that give rather a fascinating
air of adventure to our life here is the guard con-
sisting of three soldiers, who sit about with their
guns in the lower part of the house bored to death.
It is amusing to watch them, and see how differ-
ent their attitude is toward civilians from their
manner when officers call. When they hear anyone
coming in the gate they half straighten up. If the
caller be a second lieutenant they spring up and
stand at attention straight as ramrods, but even
be it the president of the Commission himself they
visibly relax their limbs and stretch out their legs
as they loll back in their chairs while he walks past
them. Martial law prevails, and after nine o'clock
no one may go through the streets without a pass,
and every householder must hang a lantern out-
side his door.

It often strikes me as peculiar that I go out driv-
ing quite alone, leaving three stalwart soldiers be-
hind me in the house. One day I found six men,
each with a double row of ammunition in his belt,

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

as I came downstairs to go into town. This war-
like preparation quite alarmed me.

" What is the matter ? '' I inquired.

" Oh, nothing, only an uprising is planned for to-
day, ma'am," the sergeant cheerfully replied.

I hesitated a moment and then drove off, con-
fident that if my diminutive coachman tried to kid-
nap me I could put him hors de combat in no time.
In spite of these warlike preparations Manila is a
tranquil city. Political affairs are much more en-
couraging than they seemed to be when we left
America. All organized resistance is over. There
are a great many bandits and robbers, but every
day they are being captured and their ammunition
discovered. The dreaded rainy season is worse
for the Filipinos than for our men, for now we
hold all the towns and they are " chasing them-
selves around the country," as a young officer
put it. They do not seem to be such a fierce
race as they are reported. They strike me as lazy,
polite, and good-natured. They may be treacher-
ous, and everyone says they are, but on the sur-
face the lower classes are certainly very agree-
able.

We have a neighbor opposite who lives in a
nipa hut. He has a wife and two children, and is a
fisherman. Once or twice we have thrown candy
out of the window to the children. Last Sunday
morning the little girl came up the stairway leading

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

her small brother by the hand. He wore a gauze
shirt that came about two inches below his armpits.
The little girl wore a pink calico chemise and car-
ried in her hand a plate of fresh crabs. This was
a g^ft in return for the candy. I offered to pay for
them but she ran away, shaking her head. As soon
as I have the energy to fill my kodak I am going to
send you some photographs of the house and our
neighbors.

Next to the fisherman's family lives a couple who
have aroused my curiosity to a high degree. They
are both quite fair; have brown hair and almost
white skins. The house consists of two rooms
built on posts about six feet from the ground. The
front of the house is always wide open, so we can't
help seeing what goes on inside. In front of one
window is the dining table, and opposite the other
is a piano. The commonest nipa shack in Manila
usually contains one of these instruments. A small
boy is maid of all work in the domicile opposite.
He cooks, cleans, attends his mistress, and although
ordinarily his dress is a ragged undershirt and a
short pair of white drawers, three times a week he
mounts the box of a very neat victoria, and sits
beside the driver in all the glory of a white suit,
belt, boots, and brass buttons. For a time I im-
agined these neighbors had rich friends who had not
deserted them in their poverty, but on the contrary
it is they who, attired in their best, go driving in a

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

hired rig three times a week on the Luneta. It is
as good as a play to see them return home, climb
up a little bamboo ladder, take off their fine attire
and sit down to a big round bowl of soup, which the
small boy in scanty garments sets before them. My
lady wears a chemise and a yard or so of red calico
around her body, while her husband, divested of
his black frock coat and immaculate trousers, is
cool and comfortable in a low-necked shirt and a
pair of drawers. They sit, one opposite the other,
over a soup bowl and ladle out the liquid with
spoons, eating it directly from the soup tureen.
They do not seem to have much liking for forks,
and eat rice with their fingers. Early one morning
I saw the man standing at the open window warm-
ing carabao milk over a lamp and then drinking
it out of the saucepan. I was so interested in them
that I asked the coachman who they were and he
said the man was a poet. It reminded me they used
to tell us in Spain that many of the families who
drove in fine equipages on the Paseo lived on beans
in order to be able to keep up appearances. Our
neighbors seem to enjoy life, too. The wife plays
the piano and the husband sings every evening.
She bathes in the surf in the morning with the
small boy in attendance. He carries her sheet and
towel to the water's edge, and assists her to do her
hair. All three are gloriously happy three times a
week as they parade in style on the Luneta, and

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

after all, not many of us can count on more than
that proportion of happy days.

I have just returned from the Manila Aid So-
ciety, where we have been packing boxes of books
and articles for the comfort of soldiers in the fields
and in hospitals. So you see I am already doing
something useful. You have no idea how many
things come to the society for distribution, and such
queer things. Papers and magazines, of course,
fill the greater part of the boxes, but people have
strange ideas of what is suitable literature for sol-
diers. Last week I unpacked a box of Police Ga-
zettes, and as they were being repacked in a box for
a hospital I questioned the wisdom of the society
sending out that class of reading matter. One lady
was surprised and said that the soldiers loved the
Police Gazette, One society sent out a large box
of woolen pyjamas and in each pocket was placed
a pencil, a pocket handkerchief, and a dainty paper
parcel of homemade molasses candy. You can
imagine the state of the pocket. Not only had the
candy melted and run all over the pyjamas, but
ants had taken possession of the box. With every
mail come extraordinary letters written by shop
girls, mothers, and romantic school girls. They
often begin " Noble hero," and contain all kinds of
sickening stuflf. In one little package was inclosed
a photograph of a girl with two tiny spoons at-
tached to it with a yellow ribbon. From a young

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

girl in high school came a letter advising the young
soldier into whose hands the letter fell to spend his
leisure hours in studying English literature instead
of in smoking, drinking, and bad company. She
inclosed an outline of the work he might follow.
These letters that come to the society are addressed
to no one in particular. " To a soldier in the Phil-
ippines." " Please forward to a soldier fighting
for his country, Manila, P. I." So the post office
sends them to us. There are hundreds of Bibles
sent, and in many of them are touching inscriptions.
Many a mother sends a Bible belonging to a dead
son. One, worn, and old, came from a mother
whose son had been killed in the Civil War and died
with the book under his pillow. We try to give
these books to the proper persons, generally the sick
in the hospitals. I have two wards to visit every
week. Yesterday I made my first round. It's hard
work, but I get on better than I expected. The con-
valescent men like to talk and tell how ill they
have been.

The membership of the Manila Aid consists
of both young and old ladies. There were two
girls packing boxes to-day in the depths of woe
because of the departure of the 14th Infantry for
China. One told me they were all " lovely officers/'
** the sweetest boys on the Islands."

Everyone is excited over the Chinese trouble.
The news we have is very meager and there is no

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

way of finding out whether the foreigners in Pekin
are dead or not. We hope that the Government
will not fail to replace the soldiers they are taking
away from here with new ones. One of our ac-
quaintances, who took us on the launch party to
Laguna de Bay, is ordered to China. War seems
worse when one is away from it, just as the plague
does. When thirty persons were dying a day in
Hongkong we went about into shops and alleys and
never thought of it. Yet I am worried to hear of
two cases in San Francisco. You are no doubt
alarmed when you hear rumors of the uprising in
Manila, but here we do not think about it.

I told you that we had bought another carriage
and ponies, and we have a new coachman. This
adds to my discomfort, as the little animals stamp
and snort all night and try to kick our guests as
they pass them on their way upstairs. On the
Fourth of July the town was decorated with flags.
The Filipinos arranged pony races in honor of the
Commission and gave a ball in the evening. In
the afternoon at the theater there was a public
school festival, where patriotic songs were sung
and the Declaration of Independence was read in
Spanish and English. Americans, in spite of their
boasted sense of humor, show very little of it out
here. Last week a prominent Filipino leader was
confined in the Anda Street jail because he was ad-
vocating just such sentiments as were contained in

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

the Declaration of Independence and which had
been recited and sung by native pupils in the public
schools on July 4th. No one commented on the
incongruity.

We are now the happy possessors of electric
lights. They turned on the current last evening.
The mosquitoes were numerous in consequence, and
strange insects which have not before been in evi-
dence came in with the lights. As the windows are
always wide open it is impossible to keep them out.
The mosquitoes are small black creatures with no
voice, so they conceal their intentions until they have
bitten one. At night Filipino nets, woven like a fine
muslin, are hung over the beds, and although they
keep out the mosquitoes they keep out the air as
well.

Since writing last we have made some changes
in our menage. Quay, one of our second boys, was
a poor servant and a lazy fellow, so we sent
him back to China, and Lai Ting decided to get
two in his place, a boy for the bedrooms or the
" cabins," as he calls them, and a coolie " to work,"
as he pathetically said. And now we have Chung,
the coolie, who does most of the work. He is
more like a monkey than anyone I ever saw. He
wears a very short pair of black paper muslin
drawers and his queue. He cleans the floors, washes
the dishes, polishes the shoes, waits on the cook,
runs errands for the others, and last night about

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

ten o'clock I went downstairs and he was cleaning
the room in which our retainers hold their recep-
tions. The boys sit around in rocking chairs in
their room at all hours of the day, and from the
number of visitors they have at meals I am inclined
to think we keep a Chinese boarding house.

July 25, 1900.

1WISH those persons in the United States who
talk about the cheap labor of the Orient were
obliged to depend on it for a time. Our laundry-
man went to China last week, and since his depar-
ture we have been wearing unironed clothes, as no
one stays long enough to finish the washing. We
have found four different washmen during the last
week. As to house boys, I am sure there is not
one in Manila who knows how to dust, but I am
disciplining myself not to have any standards, and
to shut my eyes to all but the most glaring faults
of my domestics.

The weather is fine. It rains for an hour or two
early every afternoon. The mornings and evenings
are delightful, and it is warm enough at noon to
enjoy a siesta. The new carriage and ponies add
greatly to our enjoyment. The little horses are fast
and well matched. They are not much larger than
good-sized donkeys, but where all the horses are
small one loses the sense of proportion, and the
cavalry horses and mules seem monstrosities. When

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

I see a mule in the streets it looks like an elephant.
The Filipinos were much more impressed by the
first shipload of mules which were paraded through
Manila than by the American troops. As for the
native ponies they all stampeded, and the " day of
the entry of the mules " is remembered by all the
natives of Manila. I am sure no city of the same
size has so many vehicles for hire, or so great a
variety as to kind and degrees of dilapidation as
Manila. The fares are not high, for one may drive
in a two-wheeled cart for seven and a half cents the
first hour and five cents the succeeding hours. By
driving one must understand, however, bumping
along over ill-paved, uneven roads, through streets
where car tracks are either sunk below the level of
the pavement or raised several inches above it. Be-
fore we found a suitable turnout we hired a pair
of ugly little nags and a victoria which had reached
the condition of the " one-hoss shay," but it was the
only rig we could find and it cost us seventy-five
dollars gold a month. The Filipino ponies are not
strong and can be driven but half a day, so one is
obliged to have a pair for the morning and another
for the afternoon.

There are not many amusements aside from
purely social functions to take up one's time.
Among the Filipinos there are few entertainments
of any kind. There is a theater, but on account of
the martial law, compelling persons to have passes

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

or to be at home in the evening, there are no per-
formances. There is said to be a fine orchestra,
but it is not giving any concerts. The afternoon
drive on the Luneta, between five and seven o'clock,
is the event of the day. There is the comfort of
dispensing with hat and gloves, and many ladies
and almost all young girls drive in low-necked din-
ner or evening dresses. This evening has been es-
pecially pleasant. The band was good and there
was a full moon; the waves were mere silver rip-
ples, and there were big lurid clouds on Mount
Mariveles. Sometimes a shower comes up so sud-
denly that one is drenched before the boys can put
up the carriage cover, but that did not happen to-
night.

To-morrow afternoon we are to give a reception
to all the school-teachers in Manila. The new
superintendent of schools has arrived and they are
to meet him here. The Filipinos seem very much
astonished that we should invite the teachers socially
to our house. One of our friends said it was the
first time in the history of the Philippines that any-
one connected with the government had treated the
native teachers as if they were on the same social
plane with himself.

July 26, 1900.

I^HE Commissioner's Banquete to the Manila
teachers," as the native papers called our sim-
ple afternoon tea, passed off with apparent success.

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

The Filipino guests came at half past three, al-
though they were invited for four o'clock. They
came together and stayed all the afternoon. There
were all kinds and conditions of men and women :
black, brown, yellow, and white. From the Sisters'
schools in the walled city came placid nuns who sat
together in the comer and received much attention
from the younger teachers, who reverently kissed
their hands. The Jesuit College was represented
by a half dozen priests, fat and gay, who made
complimentary speeches to the young ladies, and
stood about laughing and talking with their hands
folded over their stomachs. There was quite a bit
of style in the dressing of the ladies, and many
made a brave display of jewelry. Some of it was
very pretty, and the settings were antique. Although
stiff calicoes predominated, many of the elder teach-
ers wore silk brocaded skirts. The majority had
black embroidered aprons trimmed with lace. Al-
most without exception the women were graceful and
self-possessed. I find here, as in Spain, many elab-
orate forms which Americans call insincere and tire-
some, but which Spaniards consider essential to
polite intercourse. These forms serve to dispel any
hesitation on the part of guests as to what they
shall say, and neither hostess nor visitor is at a loss
for the proper few moments' conversation on enter-
ing and leaving the drawing-room. My experience
in Spain and Mexico stood me in good stead, and I
4 43

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

was able to get through the afternoon without em-
barrassment.

The men were not as attractive as the women.
They were neither as good-looking nor as well
dressed. They mopped their perspiring faces and
clung together in groups; they did not move about
and talk to the ladies, and I could not get them to
go into the dining room, as they said it was the cus-
tom for the ladies to eat first. I finally prevailed
upon some of the less conservative to accompany the
ladies, telling them it was an American fiesta. I
think they did not like the ices very well, they were
evidently too sour, and the cakes and punches were
tasted hesitatingly, as we would experiment with
foreign dainties. I suppose I ought to have em-
ployed a native caterer and have served the frozen
molasses which they gave us the other day at Bin-
angonan.

Another American innovation was the absence of
chairs. Filipinos always sit down at receptions,
and their houses are furnished principally with
chairs. They don't understand moving about.
However, the women and girls chattered and seemed
to have a good time, and probably the men enjoyed
it as well as any men anywhere ever enjoy an after-
noon reception. The band made a fine showing
and played dance music all the time, so it was almost
as noisy as a " tea " at home. It was not hot, for
the wind blew through the house from the sea. The

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIALS WIFE

American teachers were very elegant. Some of
them came late and most of them had nothing to
say to the native teachers. After all it was not so
bad as it might have been, and our guests expressed
themselves as delighted with their afternoon. On
retiring, each one gave me his or her name and the
address of the school, and invited me to call and see
the pupils. This was the modesty of persons who
will not presume to ask me to call upon them. We
sandwiched in a funeral between this reception and
a dance last night.

The Amnesty Proclamation is to be the occasion
of a three days' fiesta, managed by a Senor Paterno,
who is making himself conspicuous in a truly
oriental manner. The amnesty offers pardon and
immunity from punishment to all Filipinos who
will lay down their arms and take the oath of al-
legiance. The fiesta, consisting of a banquet in
honor of the military governor and a procession
with fireworks, seems to be a way of making Senor
Paterno prominent as a mediator between the Amer-
icans and the Insurrectos, for Senor Paterno advo-
cates independence, if possible, and if not, a pro-
tectorate. There is something queer in celebrating
the amnesty and demanding a protectorate at the
same time. However, the military governor has
arranged to censor all the speeches, and the speakers
will not be allowed to promulgate any treasonable
idens. Many army officers seem to think that the

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

fiesta is a mask for an uprising on a large scale,
and all American women and children have been
warned not to go on the streets. There was an
officer here last night who assured me that the
banquet was a trap, and that the Americans who
went would probably all be murdered. As the
Commissioners are invited and have accepted the
invitation it was a pleasant suggestion. The mili-
tary governor has refused to be present from the
beginning, but the promoters still call it a banquet
in his honor. Our guards were tripled last night
and their belts contain three rows of cartridges.
They told me their orders are " shoot to kill." This
seems a cheerful way to prepare for a fiesta, doesn't
it? An officer who was dining here last evening
had on his pistols ; he made me nervous. We don't
believe an insurrection is being planned, but one
cannot tell what an excitable people might do, and
it would be easy to murder us all.

July 27, 1900.

I ATE last evening we went for a short time to
^ the Army and Navy Assembly. I think there
were about two hundred persons present. They
met in the Provost Marshal's building and danced
around the corridors. It was stifling and unusually
hot as the building is in the walled city. It was
hardly an aesthetic function, for after one or two
dances the ladies began to show the outlines of their

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

shoulder blades in perspiration, and the white coats
and collars of the men were wet as if they had been
in a tub. One young fellow, who was in town over-
night, had on a new pink shirt under his tightly
buttoned-up white coat, and early in the evening the
pink color came through in spots, making him look
like a dime museum freak, and caused his sudden
departure from the gay scene. One would think
only the very young could find any interest in
dancing here, but on the contrary fat and middle-
aged ladies are especially addicted to it. There was
a good supper and we met a number of pleasant
acquaintances.

July 28, 1900.

THIS morning, in spite of the dangerous fiesta,
I went downtown to see the decorations. The
streets were full of natives out for a holiday. They
were laughing and having a good time, enjoying,
I suspect, the sight of the guards and squads of
soldiers patrolling the town. Some persons think
the rumors of uprisings are often started by natives
for the fun of seeing the soldiers turn out. There
were a number of arches decorated with pictures
and mottoes. " Viva la protectoria ! " " Viva
America y Filipinas ! " " Viva la Amnestia ! "
" Viva la Independencia ! " were some of the in-
scriptions. On one arch there were pictures of
President McKinley and Aguinaldo inclosed in a
double frame of greens.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

When I returned to the house I found that the
Commissioners had sent a letter decHning to be
present at the banquet, because they had learned
the speeches were to advocate the independence of
the Philippines under the protectorate of America,
and that reports of these speeches would be circu-
lated throughout the islands. They suspected Pa-
terno intended the presence of the Commission
should suggest that they sanctioned the idea. I
am glad they are not going, for I can't but feel
nervous over what the army officers said the other
night of plots to assassinate them. I met some
Filipino girls downtown this morning who were
making all manner of fun of Paterno and his ban-
quet.

July 30, 1900.

THE three days' fiesta ended last night in a grand
fiasco. This morning we learned that after
the Commissioners had sent their letter withdraw-
ing their acceptance to the banquet, an order was
sent by the military governor to Paterno forbid-
ding any speeches, and furthermore ordering that
there should be no banquet unless some of the Com-
missioners were present. This order came too late
to have the public and guests notified and so they
all assembled at the theater. The banquet, too, was
prepared, but could not be eaten unless at least one
Commissioner appeared. Paterno rushed out to

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Judge Taft's and with tears and on bended knee, so
to speak, begged him to go. After a time the judge,
who is the kindest of men, consented and so the
dinner was served. To-day all Patemo's enemies
are laughing over his failure. Altogether the Am-
nesty banquet to the military governor has been
like a Gilbert and Sullivan opera. From a woman's
standpoint it seems queer that defenseless civilians
were obliged to go to a banquet soldiers thought
it unsafe to attend, but there was no doubt some
deep political reason we can't understand. The
failure of his well-laid plans must be galling to
Senor Patemo. All the town is laughing at him,
and yet if he had been successful all would have
envied him. There is something astonishing to us
in the serious way these Filipinos regard themselves.
They are immensely conceited and believe them-
selves the center of attention both in Europe and
America. A newspaper was sent me last week in
which the lives and deeds of prominent generals
and leaders in the insurrection were set forth, and
such expressions as " Europe applauds your
prowess! " " America stands humiliated at your pa-
triotism ! " " Remember the civilized world beholds
and wonders ! " And these praises were sung of
men whose names even we do not recognize!
Miguel this and Manuel that are celebrated as world-
renowned patriots, or as statesmen " steeped in the
atmosphere of European diplomacy." It is not

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

strange that such leaders should impose on the
masses of the ignorant who believe all they say.

I think our guard was rather disappointed that
the fiesta went off without any trouble; one of the
boys told me he was " aching for a scrap," but an-
other said he didn't want " to kill no niggers, they
hadn't done nothing to him." It is a miserable
life — that of a soldier in peace — ^and I don't wonder
these boys would like to see a little active service.

Digitized by

Google

Ill

A VISIT IN APALIT

Manila, August 8, 1900.

DURING the last week we have had two note-
worthy experiences. The first one was a ty-
phoon. It was more severe than the one of June.
The wind was exceedingly violent at times, and our
bedroom and dining room facing the sea were unin-
habitable during the height of the storm. The
tales of mildew are beginning to be verified. Our
shoes when left undisturbed for a day or two almost
filled with mold, and woolen suits show white
spots of the same growth. The climate is ruinous
to books, and my leather-covered copy of Browning
will, I am afraid, be spoiled if I keep it here. On
the other hand, it has been cool for a week. A
blanket on the bed at night has been necessary, and
a shawl is not too warm in the evenings.

The second experience was a trip to the country
and a three days' visit in a little town in Pampanga.
We went up on- the military train last Sunday.
El Sefior and Danny accompanied us for a day's

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

outing. The trip occupied only two hours and a
half and was of course interesting, as it was our
first view of the Philippines outside of Manila. The
country is flat between Manila and the station of
Calumpit, our destination, and the fields in which
rice was formerly cultivated were neglected and
overgrown with tropical vegetation. There were
many groves of bamboo and some cocoanut palms,
but the general impression was of a rather desolate
country, especially as the only living beings to be
seen were American soldiers guarding the railway.
The road passed through an insurrecto district, and
there was the added spice of possible danger. The
trains have been recently attacked, and we carried
guards in the baggage car. General Grant was also
on the train with his staff, so we felt safe.

On reaching Calumpit we were met by the doctor
and his wife, whom we had known on the transport
and whose guests we were to be during our stay in
the small military post of Apalit, where the doctor
is stationed as a contract surgeon. Calumpit lies
on the bank of the Rio Grande de Pampanga, and
from this small village to the plaza of Apalit was
a drive of about three miles along a muddy coun-
try road full of holes. The doctor came for us
in a rickety old ambulance pulled by two raw-
boned brown mules. It was my first encounter with
the army mule and the army mule driver, and I
felt at the end of the drive that I had gained a new

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

experience, although the captain of the post assured
me later that he had sent the mildest-mannered
mule driver in the post. However, I will say that
one of the mul^s, named Joe, was enough to make
even a mild-mannered mule driver swear. He re-
garded the highway with aversion and was con-
tinually trying to bolt into stone walls, nipa shacks,
and the river. The mule driver wore pistols and
beside him sat a guard with a rifle across his knees.
There are said to be ladrones in the neighborhood.
The town extends in one long street that follows
the river from Calumpit to the church and convent
of Apalit. The street passes through several bar-
rios, each with its principal citizens who live in
stone and wooden houses flanked by the thatched
huts of numerous humble neighbors, sometimes re-
ferred to as " dependientes.'* As the ambulance
rattled along the highway, the doorways and win-
dows filled with staring, black-eyed, round-faced,
dark-skinned natives ; fowls flew cackling across the
road, pigs sought refuge with goats and small
children under the houses, while the parents and
elders crowded to the front windows to catch a
glimpse of the strange white women.

The chief manufactures of Apalit and the adjoin-
ing barrios, ••as we saw them along the road, were
straw and bamboo mats, bolos, which are sharp,
murderous-looking knives, and red pottery jars of
the useful domestic order, which stood by hundreds

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

drying in the sun. The forge fires were abandoned
at the approaching clatter of our ambulance, and
perspiring, naked smiths with dangerous-looking
blades rushed out to stare at us >^th mild, good-
natured faces, in which curiosity was the predomi-
nant emotion revealed. The mat industry we in-
vestigated later and found the Apalit weave was
durable, and the weavers not altogether lacking in
the decorative instinct. The wide-necked oUas or
jars were too heavy to carry or we should have
bought a few on account of their soft color and
quaint shapes.

We drove directly through the village to the pub-
lic square where the church is situated. This is a
well-proportioned, solid structure the exterior of
which has some pretensions to architectural excel-
lence and the interior shows the result of artistic
aspirations. From the tower we looked over a flat,
rich country covered with maize and sugar planta-
tions. The course of the river was plainly indicated
by the bamboo and banana plantations along its
banks. The soft brown thatch of the nipa houses
made shadows in the greenery, and the red tile roofs
of the more pretentious houses accentuated the vivid
colors of the banana and bamboo. The ylang-ylang
and breadfruit trees towered above the banana
groves, and oflf to our left Mt. Arayat, an isolated
blue peak, was pointed out as a refuge for air the
outlaws of the surrounding district. Just below us

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

in the plaza, the exercise and parade ground of the
garrison, were throngs of natives, rather more con-
ventional in attire than those we had passed on the
road, as became the inhabitants of the most populous
barrio on the river. The stiffly starched red calico
skirts of the women and the neatly ironed white
shirts of the men proclaimed them citizens and not
mere country louts. The convento was built with
the front at right angles to that of the church, and
its cloisters were full of khaki-clad soldiers. On
the two other sides of the square were the shops of
Apalit — ^nipa huts with counters in the entrances,
where customers could sit and chat with the shop-
keeper, who was almost invariably a woman or a
girl. The wares displayed were calicoes and textile
fabrics and beer, soda water, and cigars ; these latter
were in great abundance as the shops were patro-
nized by the soldiers.

We were received in state on our arrival by the
captain and lieutenant of the post, the presidente,
the padre, and the school-teacher. All of these gen-
tlemen, after the formal bows and compliments of
greeting were over, accompanied us to the residence
of the doctor, where the whole company had been
invited to dinner. The residence proved to be a
small nipa shack of four rooms. It looked like a
playhouse on stilts and was open to all four quar-
ters of the heavens, as the walls were flaps of woven
bamboo which could be raised and lowered at

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

pleasure. The entrance was at the back of the
house, where a square platform was reached by a
steep bamboo ladder. The platform, adorned with
terra-cotta water jars and potted plants, opened into
a small apartment which served as dining room and
kitchen. The rather cramped quarters were filled
with smiling Pampangans, natives of Apalit, neigh-
bors of the doctor, who had come in to help cook
and serve the dinner. They were not of the serving
class by any means, but citizens of consideration
and means who had brought their best china and
napkins and their silver forks and spoons to eke
out the slender stock of our host. They greeted us
with perfect ease and gracious cordiality and then
proceeded with their self-appointed tasks. The
stove for which I vainly looked and from whence
came the appetizing odors that filled the air was
nowhere to be seen, but on one side of the room
on a bamboo table was ranged a number of terra
cotta charcoal pots, over each charcoal pot stood an
earthenware olla, or kettle. In this primitive man-
ner an elaborate dinner was being prepared. The
legs of the dining table were standing in kerosene
oil tins to keep away ants and incidentally to pre-
vent it from falling through the bamboo floor,
which was laid in such a way that it was very much
like lattice work, and we could look directly through
it into the chicken, pig, and goat pen.

As we sat down to dinner we were greeted by

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

a burst of music and the " Washington Post " march
came floating to our ears. The village band in the
cleanest of white shirts, the tails flying in the breeze,
were ranged with their instruments under the win-
dow. They played a long programme, which was a
veritable torture to our ears, so out of tune were
their instruments, but they played with vigor and
con amore. The repertoire included the " Poet and
Peasant " overture, Sousa's marches and two-steps,
the " Manila Waltz," and half a dozen gay little
dances. During this concert we ate the good things
provided by our host, waited on by the polite and
attentive gentlemen of Apalit. There was no end
to the sweets which were pressed upon us after we
had finished soup, a fish, like shad, from the Rio
Grande, and tame ducks, a gift from the presidente
of the town. There was a great variety of new and
interesting fruits, and we did full justice to it all,
while listening with open ears to the stories of
hikes through the jungle and the driving out of a
band of robbers that had lived by raiding the prov-
ince of Pampanga from time immemorial. The
headquarters of this robber band had been across
the Rio Grande, and the ladrones were in the habit
of suddenly descending on the unarmed and de-
fenseless inhabitants of Apalit and the neighboring
barrios "to gather tithes," as they called it. No
wonder that the Pampangans from Apalit to Cal-
umpit beg that the " captain " may stay with them

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

always, for he has captured the ringleaders and
killed the remainder of the band. The conversation
turned to the advent of the American soldiers in
the province and the padre said, at the news of the
advance of the Americans, the friars advised the
burning of the houses and the destruction of all
provisions and standing crops in order that the
" Americanos " might have no place to sleep and
no food to eat. The equipment and commissary of
the modern army had evidently not been introduced
into the Spanish army of the Philippines, and to the
astonishment of the natives, the soldiers brought
their own tents, and from their rations many starv-
ing Filipinos had been kept alive.

The band dispersed after dinner, refusing any
" gratificacion " much to our surprise, but they
went only as far as the neighboring thicket and
there practiced all the afternoon, while we, the other
guests having departed, vainly tried to take our in-
dispensable siesta. The bedrooms were two in num-
ber and each was completely filled with a big four
poster Filipino bed. There was just room enough
for us to get in and out. As for our clothes we
either put them under the bed or on top of it. Still,
after all, it was a bedroom and served its purpose, for
it held the bed. Finding sleep impossible we talked,
and from the doctor's wife, who is an ideal pioneer,
learned all about Apalit, its inhabitants, both rich
and poor, white and brown; that the captain was

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

an ideal commander of the post with no race preju-
dice ; that he and the " teniente," as they call the
lieutenant, were just and kind to the lower classes,
but allowed no nonsense; that all the girls of the
upper classes were their devoted admirers, for they
attended the balls and had taught them to waltz
in American fashion ; that Apalit was a model paci-
fied town, not a shot having been fired since the
American occupation. This, however, did not les-
sen their vigilance, and the doctor's wife showed us
her little pistol, without which she never stirred
abroad. "

We learned that a number of fiestas had been
planned in honor of our visit, and that a quantity
of gifts had already arrived from various persons
of consideration. This news caused us to repair
to the kitchen where we found Ambrosio, a " house
maid " he would have been called had he been a
girl, sitting at the table dissolved in tears but eating
sticky " sighs of love " and sugar " kisses " with an
unimpaired appetite. On inquiry we learned that
Ambrosio, who is fourteen, has a sweetheart, in the
soft Spanish tongue a novia. He, the novio, wishes
to marry and she has the same ambition. On this
festal Sunday when all the world of Apalit was out
in its best to see the strange white senoras from
America, the father of the little novia had locked
up her clothes and kept her at home, and had beaten
Ambrosio who, as the novio, had protested. What
5 59

Digitized by

Googk

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

was to be done? The parents of both threatened
a beating with a flat bamboo in case any more talk-
ing of marriage was heard. We gave our sage
counsel and advised waiting until Ambrosio attains
the mature age of sixteen, and Ambrosio wiped his
eyes on the end of the table cloth and proceeded,
much comforted, to devour more " kisses " and
" sighs of love." Our gifts, spread out on a bam-
boo shelf, consisted of flowers, fruits, sweets, and
the half of a tender little kid, not yet weaned from
its mother.

While we were examining the gifts two solemn
middle-aged females in chemise and sarong, that is,
a piece of calico wound about the body, with bare
legs and feet, their hair done in a tight round knob
at the top of the head, a horn dressing comb thrust
into it, came up the ladder. They carried something
in a bamboo leaf and advanced silently toward us,
offering it to the doctor's wife and pointing to us.
They spoke no word, knowing it was useless, but
squatted down on the floor fixing us with their eyes
and awaited results. Opening the banana leaf we
discovered three young ears of corn, warm from
the kettle, and Ambrosio, being called in as inter-
preter, explained that the doctor's wife on sev-
eral occasions had related that in America people
boiled and ate green corn and had urged Am-
brosio's mother and all her relatives to adopt the
American custom. So these simple creatures had

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

gathered three young ears and boiled them and
were now patiently waiting to see the Seiioras eat
them.

The doctor's wife is, as I've said, an ideal pioneer
in this new country. She likes the natives, has a
strong sense of duty toward them and a feeling that
we must all help the government in the work of
pacification. She is abnormally sensitive, and her
bete noir is the possibility of hurting a native's
feelings. So, having learned that these confiding
creatures had taken her admonitions to heart, and
not wishing to go back on her word, she said
solemnly :" Girls, we must eat them." She meant
the ears of corn, but from her tone one might have
thought she meant the two women. Falling in with
the absurd situation Elena and I each took a cob
and sitting down in the window began to gnaw the
tough little kernels. The doctor's wife explained
to Ambrosio that our corn in America was tender
and that we ate it with salt and butter. " How
fine," she exclaimed with the optimism which is her
predominant trait of character, " if we could teach
these poor creatures the use of a new food." As
our visitors showed no signs of going and as the
corn was like cow fodder, I suggested, in order not
to hurt their feelings, we dismiss them with a gift.
So Ambrosio gathered up some remnants of the
dinner and edged them out of the house. They de-
parted silently as they came, and I wonder if our

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

example will cause boiled com to become a diet in
their households.

Late in the afternoon we started oflf for a barrio
some miles down the river where a banquet had
been prepared in our honor. We were hot, sleepy,
and tired, and the ambulance, with Joe and the mild-
mannered mule driver, was very uncomfortable.
However, we were interested to meet the family of
sisters who had invited us, and the captain and
teniente predicted the air would revive us. We
drove through the same staring crowds of natives,
through banana groves still sparkling with rain-
drops from the recent shower. The river was pink
from the reflected brightness of a gorgeous sunset.
The family we were about to visit had been prom-
inent in the early days of the insurrection. The
father lived in Manila, had been a member of Aguin-
aldo's cabinet and had played a conspicuous part
in a political way under the Spaniards. He is now
coming into notice as a friend of the Americans,
which causes his enemies to call him a turncoat.
His daughters, four in number, the children of his
first marriage, are living in Apalit with their aunt
and a young uncle. I gave up trying to understand
all the ramifications of the family tree, for anyone
who tries to follow the connections of a Filipino
family will soon find himself bewildered; parientes,
as they call relatives, are legion, and cousins to the
fortieth degree are recognized. The house before

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

which the ambulance drew up stood back from the
road in a garden. Half a dozen scantily clad men
servants and numerous children were running about,
and as many more peered out of the windows and
doors, or hung over the balustrade of a big square
stone veranda without a top that projected from the
second story of the long, low house. The veranda
was approached by a wide stone stairway.

In the country, as well as the city houses, the
ground floor of a Filipino dwelling is given over
to the animals, servants, stores, and everything of
that kind. The family lives on the second floor.
The outside stone stairway is a feature of all the
better houses in Apalit. It is picturesque and me-
diaeval, and gives a certain distinction to the plain
square houses. At the top of the stairway we
passed through an arch to the veranda where roses
were growing in pots and big green glazed and
dull-red water jars stood in rows. The four sisters
were awaiting us, and many gracious good wishes
and elaborate compliments were showered upon us
as they led us into the entrance hall and thence into
the reception room. The sisters were all rather at-
tractive. They looked intelligent but were not
pretty. In Filipino fashion they were thickly pow-
dered, and this gave a peculiar lilac tinge to their
brown skins. Their gowns were fresh and beauti-
fully embroidered, and their necks and ears glis-
tened with jewels.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

The rooms into which we were ushered were low ;
the walls and ceilings were whitewashed ; the floors
were polished mahogany, and the furniture con-
sisted of chairs, a piano, and table. On the walls
were a gilt-framed mirror and prints of religious
subjects. The impression was of coolness and of
immaculate cleanliness, and it struck me at once that
the room was in harmony with the place and people.
The house swarmed with servants, dirty bare-
legged men, women, and girls, clad in rags. They
ran about fetching and carrying, stopping often to
gaze at us in open-mouthed wonder. After we were
finally seated a small boy entered with a tray of
delicate white flower wreaths, and the sisters hung
them about our necks. Then a glass of sweet wine
was passed to each one of us. We spent quite half
an hour in hearing how greatly the honor of our
visit was appreciated, and protesting that we were
the ones honored by such a reception. After this
the dinner was served, and we filed out to a table
laid with glass, china, and silver that surprised us
in no small degree. The service was the finest
French porcelain, with a monogram in gold in the
center and a handsome border. The monumental
centerpiece was crystal and silver, and a procession
of ornamental dishes containing sweets stretched
the length of the board. Two curious decorations
attracted my attention at once. They were silver
pineapples on standards, with holes all over them

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

into which were stuck slender stems of white wood,
the other end being fashioned into all kinds of
shapes — fans, leaves, roses, and flowers of many vari-
eties. These looked like huge bouquets of paper
flowers, but were nothing more nor less than tooth-
picks. They are most delicately cut out of a single
piece of soft white wood, and show great skill in
carving. One old man spends all his time in carv-
ing toothpicks.

The dinner was good, but dining or rather the
feeding of one's guests is a serious affair in the
Philippines. All four of our hostesses and their
young uncle kept their eyes on our plates and we
were stuffed as if for the slaughter. They had no
end of queer sweets, rather sticky and clogging to
the American taste; and wine, warm champagne,
and ice cream, the latter in our honor. It was made
of carabao milk and was not bad if one could forget
how a carabao looks. After dinner we had music
and dancing, and were delighted with the young
uncle of the girls. He is a charming young man
educated in Europe, yet not spoiled by his sojourn
there. He was gay, unaffected, and simple in his
manners. He is clever, too, and manages the large
estate owned by an elder sister, who, it appeared, is
a woman of character and position in Pampanga.
She did not appear at the dinner and we did not see
her until just as we were leaving, when a tall dark
" Indian woman " appeared, who was dressed in a

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

straight narrow skirt and a cotton jacket. She ex-
tended a hand in greeting, and our young host pre-
sented her with all due deference and courtesy as
a lady who had never learned Spanish. No one
seemed disturbed by her sudden appearance and
there was no attempt to keep her in the background,
but this dispenser of diamonds and dinners, for she
owned the house and all it contained, preferred to
superintend the kitchen maids and be presented to
her guests later. Finally, we left our hostesses after
many promises to return soon, and drove back to
the doctor's shack, through the grove of bananas and
palms. A heavy dew was gathering on its foliage
and the leaves glittered like polished silver. It was
like being in fairy land, to drive through the trop-
ical forest under the full moon.

After settling ourselves for the night, and tired
out with our long day, what should turn up but
the band. It was maddening, and yet not wishing
to hurt the feelings of the gentlemen in white shirts
we endured the strains of " Just One Girl," " Whis-
tling Rufus " and other choice selections for over an
hour. The doctor's wife, true to her mania for paci-
fying the natives, had the nerve to call out mil gracias
(a thousand thanks) as they went off. The doctor and
I hissed her. Then came an awful night. The nipa
hut was like a bamboo cage; it creaked and swayed
with the least breeze. The sides of the walls were
open for air, and visions of the bolo makers per-

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

sisted in coming to mind. I heard insurrectos whis-
pering under my bed and coming up the ladder.
Every time anyone moved the whole house groaned.
I know I did not get forty winks all night. Next
day we had more presents from neighbors, another
dish of stewed kid, and " sighs of love " and besos
or " kisses " of sugar and eggs. We had ates, a
fruit like a small green pineapple filled with black
seeds and a sweetish, creamy pulp, Umzones, a small
fruit which exudes a sticky, milky juice and con-
tains a small lemonlike fruit divided like an orange.
The fruit itself is covered by a skin, bitter as qui-
nine, and contains a seed with a bitterer taste still,
but within the skin and surrounding the seed is a
substance that is said to have a " flavor for angels."
Although one seldom escapes the quinine, still the
thought of again catching the marvelous flavor is
so fascinating that one keeps on eating until the last
lanzone disappears.

We went to the weekly market at Calumpit one
morning and bought mats. I am going to have one
woven for you as I know you would like them.
Elena bought two, and I tell you this so you may
know her chaste taste approves of them. The dress
of the Filipino woman is very cool and we are going
to have some made to wear in the house. The chil-
dren dress exactly like the grown people and are
quaint and pretty in their little beaver-tail trains. Be-
fore we left Apalit an evening soiree and an eleven

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

o'clock collation were given in our honor, both with
music. This was a repetition of the other visit, only
longer. The dinner was at noon and we had the
same numberless courses of meat, wines, champagne,
and sweets. After it was over we all went to bed.
Filipino beds are monumental constructions, four
posters with canopied tops; woven bamboo takes
the place of a mattress, and over it is laid a mat and
a sheet, the latter for honored guests. In each bed
are two rolls covered with red cloth ; on special oc-
casions they are put into white ruffled slips. These
rolls are called " widows," and they are used to
prop you up when your bones ache. In the walls
of the house are many bullet holes, which are re-
minders of the fighting between the insurgents and
the Americans. Our hostesses took the siesta with
us on mats on the floor. This is the way they
sleep. As they don't wear stockings all they do
when they go to bed is to take off their slippers
and the stiff handkerchiefs which they wear around
their necks. It must be much easier than our way
when one is sleepy and tired. They are fond of
bathing and put on clean clothes every morning
after a tub. Great wardrobes were filled with
dresses. I became quite interested in one of the
girls, and during the hot hours and the siesta she
told me some blood-chilling tales of the friars dur-
ing the Spanish regime, things that had happened
to relatives and friends. Then she told me how she

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

and her sisters fled at the approach of the Americans
and lay hidden for days after burying all their valu-
ables. When they finally ventured back to the
house great was their amazement to find it and their
belongings untouched. They then began to think
that the Americanos were not as black as they had
been painted.

I must bring this letter to an end. There was so
much that was novel in our experience I felt you
would like to hear it and I have drawn it out un-
pardonably. We went back to Manila in good
shape with many regrets at leaving the country.

The night after our arrival a big storm came up
which still continues. The waves are dashing wild-
ly against our breakwater. I sat up all last night
expecting the roof to be blown away, but it is still
intact. The noise of the wind and the rattling of
the loose ends of the tin roofing is deafening. Three
native houses in our block were blown down last
night, and the shore is strewn with wreckage.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

THE ROUTINE

Manila, August 12, 1900.

WE went to a ball last evening given at the Bank
House. This is the residence of the manager
of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. It is situ-
ated beyond the town in the open country and as
an uprising had been announced for to-day all the
officers serving with troops were ordered to be on
duty. Only the staff officers were able to be present,
but so small a number of women and girls are in
town compared with the men that there was no
dearth of partners and everyone had a good time.
Our guard was tripled yesterday and the men in-
sisted we ought to take a gun with us to the ball.
So with much reluctance el Senor was finally in-
duced to put his unloaded pistol under the seat.
Our progress was slow for at every few blocks we
were challenged, the carriage stopped, and we had
to get out and have our pass examined. It was not
exactly agreeable for a slight rain was falling. The
ball was very pretty and the supper delicious. One

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

of the officers present was standing near me, with
a plate piled with good things; as he raised his
glass of champagne in my direction he said : " It
makes me blush to think of the pathetic letter I
posted this morning, describing the hardships of the
soldier's life in the tropics."

We have a clever and unscrupulous coachman.
Last evening when we went downstairs to go
home we found the carriages in an inextricable
confusion. There were friends waiting who had
been trying to find their carriages for half an hour.
Somewhere from the crowd Lorenzo spied us; and
we suddenly heard a familiar voice calling in im-
perious tones : " Make way for the carriage of the
honorable President of the Civil Commission."
Like magic every coachman gave way and before
we knew it Lorenzo and Luis had swooped down
and gathered us in and we were speeding off down
the road too surprised and amused to make any
proper impression on Lorenzo, who evidently was
well pleased with the success of his trick. He
promised, however, never to do it again.

Manila, August 15, 1900.

MY last letter I mailed during a typhoon, so it
was probably delayed several days and this
may reach you at the same time. We were obliged
to sleep on the floor of our reception room during
the height of the storm as the rooms facing the

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

bay were uninhabitable. Every time a typhoon
rages, the driveway along the beach is washed oiit
and the waves dash over a half-finished pier in
grand style. I was persuaded to walk down the
Malacon drive the other day after the height of
. the typhoon, and although I was literally " soaked
to the bones," as the Spaniards express it, the sight
of the majestic breakers well repaid me for the dis-
comfort I suffered. '

Our visit to Apalit endeared us to our Filipino
friends to such an extent that on our departure they
not only loaded us with flowers, fruits, and sweets,
but embraced us over and over again, fairly tearful
with emotion in a very un-American manner.

It appears that the half brothers of the young
ladies sail on the Grant this week for America where
they will enter a university. Their father is one of
the Filipinos who has taken the oath of allegiance
and is apparently working for the American cause.
He is not popular, however, with his countrymen,
who do not consider him reliable. I have begun to
find out that the Filipinos do not hold together, and
that the social position or political success of a man
inevitably calls forth enemies on all sides who
malign his character and suggest he is a turncoat.
The Americans, too, are inclined to say he is slip-
pery. This may or may not be the fact in the
present case, but turncoat or not he is certainly a
clever man, and if he has changed his politics for

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

his own ends he is only doing what the Government
is urging all the Filipinos to do, so I cannot see that
anyone has the right to call him names. The two
youths, sons of this gentleman, are accompanied
by their young uncle, whose father is said to be one
of the richest men in the islands. This old million-
aire is an " Indio puro " as they call the full-
blooded natives, although he looks as if he had
Chinese blood in his veins. He wears his white
shirt outside his trousers, but he lives in one of
the handsomest houses in Manila, and his sons and
grandsons are regarded as young swells in their
circle. I enter into these details because you will
doubtless see notices of the arrival of the young
men in the papers when they reach San Francisco.

The week after our visit to Apalit, last Sunday
evening, our friends came down to Manila to bid
good-by to their brothers and we met them driving
on the Luneta. At first we did not recognize the
gayly dressed mestizas, in a stylish turnout, who
seemed to be waving their hands to us, until Elena
exclaimed : " Why, they are our Apalit friends, and
they are waving to us to stop ! " As they overtook
our carriage one of the girls jumped out and ran
over to greet us, then all Manila beheld the amazing
spectacle of an American woman being kissed by
a Filipina and their driving together around the
Luneta. Perhaps I have mentioned in one of my
letters that one of the vital questions in the Philip-

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

pines relates to the social relation between the two
races. The army, except in a few cases, has tabooed
the native socially. A friend, the wife of an officer
of high rank, said to me one day when I was pre-
paring to make some calls on native acquaintances :
" I pity you Commission people ; thank heaven the
army has no social duty toward these natives."
This attitude is perhaps natural, for a conqueror
seldom feels on an equality with a race with whom
he has recently been in conflict. So one seldom
meets natives at any but purely official army func-
tions. They are rarely invited by officers to their
private entertainments. The Filipinos are sensitive
on this point and say : " If the Americans are going
to look on us tod treat us as the Spaniards have
done for three hundred years, we do not want them
here."

Manila, August i8, 1900.

THE day before yesterday our Apalit friends
called on us, but I was out. Elena acted as
hostess and with a mixture of Spanish and Italian
she managed to amuse and entertain them. In
Manila if one wishes to be very polite he returns
a first call the day it is made, but on no account
must he defer his visit later than the following day.
Therefore, although the weather was stormy, we
started yesterday for Tondo, where in true patri-
archal fashion live the root and branches of this

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

family. Tondo is a quarter as near like Chinatown
as you can picture it. It is the dirtiest and most
crowded part of Manila, but in spite of that fact
some of the richest Filipino families reside there.
By the time we reached our destination our horses
and carriage were covered with mud, as we had
driven through water up to the hubs part of the
time.

I never like to drive in the crowded part of the
town; the narrow streets are paved with uneven
blocks of stone; there are more public conveyances
than I have ever seen an)rwhere else; and I think
the carabao are dangerous ; their great horns nearly
fill the narrow streets and their drivers are utterly
reckless. Private coachmen are no better. They
make it a point of honor never to allow any other
conveyance to pass them, so between the yelling of
drivers, the lashing of the horses, and the horns of
the carabaos I am developing " nerves." We at last
reached the street and number given us by the
young ladies, but I hesitated as it seemed impossible
a family of consideration could live in such a place.
All around were small dirty Chinese shops, and the
narrow sidewalk was filthy. We had stopped be-
fore a huge building like a warehouse. At the
entrance was an immense door with a smaller one
inclosed in one of its panels. The correct number
above it was the only thing that suggested that
it was the right place. After knocking several

« 75

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

times three half-clad men appeared and answered
" yes " to our question if Senor Carmona resided
there.

The lower floor which we entered was an im-
mense court paved with square stones, where there
were at least ten carriages of different styles and
sizes. How many horses were in the stalls I could
not tell, but I heard their stamping and snorting.
In the center was a fountain, but wet clothes pasted
on boards suggested that it was used as a washtub.
Ten or twelve servants were engaged in various oc-
cupations, working over the horses, cleaning car-
riages, washing dishes, and all peering at us with
interest. Presently a small girl rang a g^eat bell,
pointed up the stairway, and we ascended the wide
marble steps unattended, in true Manila style. On
reaching the top of the stairs we came to a large
square hall where vistas of apartments opened on all
sides. The proportions of the room were fine and
the beautiful rosewood floors shone like mirrors.
Servants were sauntering about but no one came
forward. We waited until our charming little hos-
tess came running in to greet us and she led us to
the drawing-room. Filipino homes are furnished
more simply than our own. There are no carpets
or rugs, and who would wish them in exchange for
a highly polished rosewood or mahogany floor?
Even in the houses of the wealthy the furniture is
principally of the Vienna bent-wood variety. Chairs

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

almost fill the rooms. There is usually a hollow
square in the center formed by a table at one side,
with sofa opposite connected by rows of chairs. Pic-
tures are infrequent, but magnificent mirrors in
elaborate gilt frames abound. A piano of excruci-
ating tone is never absent. Cuspidors • of pink,
white, blue or green glass are symmetrically placed
at the four corners of the hollow square. Usually
two or more natives in very dirty short bathing
trunks are on hands and feet with rolls of burlap
polishing the floors. They rush from one end of
the room to the other with astonishing rapidity.
The Filipinos call it " skating the floor."

All of these conditions were present in the draw-
ing-room of the house we entered. Instead of the
usual bent-wood furniture, however, there were
beautifully carved sofas and chairs, covered with
ugly but heavy and costly velvet brocade. The table
was inlaid tortoise shell and brass of exquisite work-
manship. The piano was a grand Erard imported
from Paris, but a total wreck musically. There
were several glass and gilt cabinets filled with bric-
a-brac of the most varying kinds from beautiful
and really artistic and valuable specimens of Sevres,
porcelain, and bronze to miserable blue, white, and
pink glass toys and china dogs of the cheapest and
most vulgar sort. The walls were hung with a
heavy, dark paper detached in many places by
reason of the dampness. Two royal mirrors adorned

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

the walls. On the beautiful table was a cheap china
bowl and two china vases filled with soiled artificial
flowers. But what most attracted my astonished
gaze were four painted tin cats standing around the
table.

Our hostess sat beside me in a white dressing
sack, at the other side sat Senor Garcia, and beyond
and opposite was a row of persons of all hues
from almost black to very light brown; from the
old man who I said wore his shirt outside his
trousers, to Seiior Lamberto, one of the handsomest
men I have met in Manila. He was in Aguinaldo's
cabinet and very prominent politically. He is pale
and looks like a Spaniard, but is a mestizo. We
talked a few moments and then Elena was invited
to play, which she did to the great delight of the
company and to our agony. I afterwards spoke of
the difficulty in this climate of keeping a piano in
tune on account of the rusting of the strings, but
this did not appeal to them. One of the ladies ex-
pressed surprise and said : " Do you think so ? Why,
our piano belonged to my grandmother and it is
still very good." I had never heard a worse one.
But it is thought that as long as the instrument holds
together it is good. Afterwards one of the girls
played and then Elena was urged to play again. It
was evidently the desire of our hosts to entertain
us. I was curious about the four painted tin cats.
The mystery was soon solved and I learned that

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

they were not merely ornamental, for Dona Lucia
was seized with a fit of coughing and to my aston-
ishment she grasped one of the animals by the head
and turning it around expectorated with great vigor
into a cuspidor which was mysteriously constructed
in or about its back.

Manila, August 21, 1900.

SINCE my last writing we have been to a dinner
given at a Filipino house in honor of the two
departing youths of whom I wrote. One of them
speaks a little English. He took Elena in to dinner.
At parting he said to her : " I wish the Grant to
take you, too, with us, for your good health and
merry character are greatly pleasing to me.'* These
dinners are much more entertaining than American
dinner parties. The table etiquette is somewhat dif-
ficult at first, but I am learning in Filipino style to
pick off an olive or pickle at the end of a fork
presented me by my neighbor at the table, and to
say the proper thing in response to a toast to my
" beauty and intellect."

We have a good cook and we enjoy having all
the company we wish as it is unaccompanied by
trouble or anxiety. I am constantly saying to my-
self, unberufen, for to have six really first-class ser-
vants is so remarkable here that it seems impossible
that it should last very long. Our second boy was
a trial when we first came, but I soon learned that

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

the only wisdom is to keep changing until the right
one is secured, and now I have a jewel.

I send one last message before the mail closes.
We are all well. Last night we had a dinner party.
It was unusually pleasant, ^although el Senor was
called away at the last moment to go to a meeting
to discuss a telegram from President McKinley.
Our little company was congenial and lively and
we had a most recherche little dinner. Our most
expensive and elegant course was a leg of mutton
which weighed only six pounds and cost two dollars
and forty cents. We have had no meat since the
typhoon started. We pay from four to six cents a
pound when we get meat from the quartermaster,
but the mutton I bought in town and paid forty
cents a pound for it.

Manila, August 29, 1900.

SINCE writing you last the typhoon has gone
to Japan, still the Grant did not sail on the 25th,
but waited until the next day. Our next-door
neighbor, the paymaster's wife, and her children
have gone home. The little boy was a mass of
prickly heat and kept a servant fanning him all the
time. We regret her departure for she is a charm-
ing woman, and we dislike to have the nice people go.
I should think army life would be trying to those
who find pleasure in friendship. Just as soon as
one becomes acquainted with a congenial man or

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

woman off he goes to another quarter of the globe.
Elena said she wrote to you we were going to give
a Filipina lunch party. It was successful although
two of the guests did not come. The natives have
not our ideas in the matter of entertaining. They
always are prepared for more persons than they
invite, and three or four guests more or less is quite
in the usual order of things, and so although the
girls knew two days previously that two of them
could not come they did not send me word. I was
sorry because I wanted to ask several other persons
and could not because there was not room, as our
table seats only fourteen. The Filipinos and Ameri-
cans made a very jolly party. The natives are
always gay and easy to please and laugh a great
deal. I invited the wife of the captain of the mili-
tary prison, a charming woman, sympathetic and
fond of the Filipinos. She is pretty, too.

I used for the table the blue centerpiece and doilies
embroidered in white dragons that I bought in
Hongkong, and the arrangement was new and in-
teresting to the Filipinos. Bouillon served in bowls
was also a novelty, and they admired our little
entree forks. The jelly was wine, chocolate, and
blanc mange in layers, and their admiration was
great for they appreciated all the sweet things, but
most of all they enjoyed the apricot water ice and
frosted cake. When the coffee was served in the
drawing-room the coffee spoons were examined with

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

enthusiasm, and one of the girls announced that
she would write to her brother to send her some
from America. Coffee is served with teaspoons in
Filipino houses. After lunch I showed them fash-
ion books and took their photographs and at three
o'clock they departed, leaving us quite tired out
with the excitement and the necessity of making
so many complimentary remarks in a foreign lan-
guage.

On Tuesday morning we went to an interesting
celebration at the Augustinian church. The anni-
versary of the saint was the occasion of the high
mass. We were delighted with the service and saw
a great deal that was really beautiful. The church
itself was handsomely decorated, with many candles
in crystal candelabra and large lusters hanging from
the ceiling. Ther^e was a great deal of silver on
the high altar. The apse was draped with a white
cloth canopy studded with black to imitate ermine.
The edges were trimmed with red and gold em-
broidery. It looked quite magnificent. The arch-
bishop officiated. Elena has told you about this
gentleman, I think. He is as unspiritual looking a
priest as one can imagine. His vestments were
magnificent and it was quite a sight to see him
dressed at a side altar by the lower clergy. That
was part of the function. They say the old gentle-
man suffers a great deal from the heat on these
occasions. I should think he would, he is so fat.

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

The bowing and hand kissing and continual rever-
ences are tiresome to a heretic. Since I am not
sufficiently accustomed to high mass to know always
how to behave I find that the best way is to watch
the Spanish officials who sit in great gilt chairs in
front of the altar. When these gentlemen sit still,
so do I; when they stand up I follow suit; when
they kneel I do, too. Thus I avoid attracting at-
tention. The music was good in places on this oc-
casion; one baritone had a lovely voice. After the
long service we were invited into the reception room
of the monastery, where sweets, wine, and beer were
served. We met a number of frailes and were
greeted with marked attention. As the Commission
is now discussing the question of church property,
the friars are pleasant, especially to us. We met
a number of Spanish and Filipina ladies whom we
had never seen before. The niece of the archbishop
was there. She told us the nicest people in Manila
are not seen among the political set. Those present
were certainly whiter than many of those we know
and all were very devout.

Manila, September i, 1900.

TO-DAY the Civil Commission assumes the leg-
islative power in the Islands, with certain ex-
ecutive functions, including the power to appoint
to office in specific departments. They will, in my
opinion, have their hands full.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Manila, September lo, 1900.

MY last letter was written when a typhoon was
at its height, and I am again sitting in the din-
ing room listening to the roar of the waters which
are beating against our sea wall below the windows.
Thursday the biggest storm in years began and
increased until Saturday night when there was no
rest for anyone in the house. You never heard such
a racket. All the tin roofs in the neighborhood
were banging and rattling. Our neighbors opposite
tied down their roofs to stakes in the ground, while
there was an air of unrest and anxiety manifest in
the cautious way the people peered around corners
and scurried across streets to get out of the way of
falling roofs. El Senor and Danny came home in
a calesa and were nearly blown away. On Sunday
we drove out to view the ruins and I tried to get
a picture or two of the wreckage on our street. A
schooner was washed up on the shore just below our
house, and we were thankful that it did not come
pounding against the breakwater. We went down-
town in a quilez, which is a high two-seated vehicle,
and the horse waded through water up to his shoul-
ders. In front of the Ayuntamiento the largest trees
were blown down, and on Saturday night there
were no elect^"ic lights in town. Last evening we
went out driving again and were astonished at the
floods all over town. For an hour or two we drove
through water up to the hubs of the carriage wheels,

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

and saw many ' strange and picturesque sights.
Whole sections of the city as far as the eye could
reach were under water. Natives were walking in
it up to their waists, and buying and selling notions
and food out of their windows. We now under-
stand why the nipa houses are built upon stilts.
Some persons more enterprising than others were
paddling about the streets in bancas, as they call
their small boats or " dugouts." The river banks
had overflowed the lowlands, and water was run-
ning through the palace yard at least two feet deep.
We finally could go no farther, the water was so
deep, and we turned toward home. Before we could
reach our house a great cylindrical storm cloud
came whirling directly toward us. In a moment,
scarcely giving us time to pull up the top of our
carriage, the wind rushed upon us and the rain
came down in sheets. We had difficulty in getting
home. The flood subsided as quickly as it had
risen, and next day I drove over in that vicinity and
found the dust blowing where the water had been
the day before.

Manila, September 14, 1900.

THE doctor's wife has been visiting us and we
have been having a very gay time. We have
had company every day, and on Wednesday we gave
a big dinner. It was very good, indeed, and con-
sidering that we spoke three languages at table,

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

it went off extremely well. We had invited among
others, a prominent Filipino who has lived twenty
years in Paris. He speaks French well and is a
cultivated gentleman. His wife speaks very good
Spanish, which is not always the case among the
mestizas. Another guest was minister of foreign
affairs under Agninaldo and now seems turning or
turned to our side. There was much interesting talk
and everyone seemed to have a good time. Last
night we went to a dinner and a ball. The dinner
was given to the Commission. It was given in
the house I described in a previous letter. The din-
ing table seated thirty-one persons, and consisted
of three great marble-topped tables put end to end.
The family ordinarily eats from the cold white top
without a table cloth, but last night there were table
cloths and napkins and immense baskets of flowers
and different kinds of fruits and jellies. They had
an orchestra of a dozen pieces which brayed dis-
cords all during dinner. The toasts were many and
amusing. Judge Taft prefaced a very witty toast
by saying that he would not speak in Spanish, be-
cause there were so many present who could not
understand him.

Our host then delivered a glowing oration in
which he said he was in such a delirium of joy that
he could not believe it to be anything but a dream.
He was very eloquent, and the Spanish language
lends itself to flowery metaphors. After the dinner,

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

which was a long one, with many kinds of wine and
warm champagne, we adjourned to the drawing-
room and hall for dancing. The ladies were ele-
gantly dressed. The hostess of the occasion was
dazzling in immense p^rls set with diamonds. She
had on a red brocaded dress with the funny little
beaver-tail trains the Filipinas wear. The camisa
and panuela were of fine pina cloth embroidered in
white silk. The scene in the dancing hall was gay
indeed, for the ladies' dresses were all of the most
brilliant colors. Pea-green, sky-blue, and pink pre-
dominated. Many of the men did look a little black,
I must say, but I do not mind that, they are so polite
and happy. We stayed until twelve o'clock, and
then we went to a ball at the Spanish Casino. There
we saw a repetition of the same scene, but of course
being in a casino it was not as elegant as the private
party. We finally reached home about three o'clock,
but not so late as if we had stayed through the
first party, where dancing was kept up until five
this morning.

At these native balls the girls sit demurely about
the room in chairs, placed against the wall. The
men congregate in the halls or on the stairways and
stare at them. There is naturally a certain shyness
on the part of the Filipino men about asking the
American women to dance. The ball is always
opened with the rigodone, the stately dance of the
country. Judge Taft dances this with the hostess

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

and the host leads out with Mrs. Taft, while the
rest of us form in line and go through the rather
intricate figures with as much grace as may be.
Since the arrival of the Americans the mestiza girls
of society have been taught tjhe waltz as danced in
America and have learned to reverse, but the Fili-
pino men waltz as the Germans do. Experience in
that style of exercise in Europe has taught me to
avoid it in the tropics. It is only suited to the
frozen north. The two-step, which anyone can
learn, is the favorite with the mestizos and mestizas.
As yet the American waltz is a little difficult.

At all native balls the supper is a great feature
of the affair, fowls, meat and other substantial
viands forming part of the menu, with dulces
(sweets) and ices, which are insipid to our taste,
and champagne. The fact that champagne and dia-
monds bore very low duties during the period of
Spanish rule may account for their abundance in
the Philippines.

Manila, September 28, 1900.

NOWADAYS there is nothing new and inter-
esting going on which makes letter-writing
easy. Politically things are blue. The insurgents
are everywhere helping William J. Bryan all they
can by attacking the Americans even at a frightful
loss to themselves. Last week there were two en-
counters, one fight in which twenty-four of our men

Digitized by

Googk

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

were wounded or killed, and another in which six
or eight were killed. In Zamboanga the insurgents
have asked for a suspension of arms till after the
election. They promise to lay down their arms if
Mr. McKinley is elected, but if he is defeated they
say they will fight till the last American soldier has
left the Islands.

We had a dancing party this week. Our guests
were Filipina girls and a few young men who came
to teach us the rigodone, a Spanish dance that is in
great vogue here among the Filipinos. The two
girls are daughters of a Filipino who is an Amer-
ican sympathizer and a well-known enemy of the
friars. Once the insurgents tried to bury him alive
and he has been threatened several times with as-
sassination; but he does not seem alarmed and has
lately written a play, which was performed last week
in a theater in town. It was a violent attack on the
friars. He has ten children, among them two very
pretty girls. One of them is engaged to an Amer-
ican. She is accomplished, sings well, and seems
delighted with her American lover.

I told you, I think, about the club for the purpose
of bringing Americans and natives together socially.
I don't know how it will work. If the Filipinos
hear of the views of the founders they may not like
to be brought into an organization so frankly for
their " elevation." No woman can join who will
not promise to dance with a Filipino, and no man

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

who is not willing to give up his own preferences
and pay attention to Filipina girls instead of Amer-
icans. So you see we may have trouble. The Fili-
pinos may be like isome of the persons approached
by the social settlements in America, "hard to do
good to."

We have become acquainted with a charming
young Spanish officer, who is in Manila settling up
Spanish claims. Last week we invited him to dine
with us. Before dinner an orderly appeared with
two immense bouquets and a letter in Spanish beg-
ging el Senor to allow his wife and sister-in-law to
accept the flowers as a proof of the appreciation of
the honor they were showing him. His character
combines the gay and the serious, and we like him
and are sorry he is going away very soon.

I wish we might know more of the different so-
cial circles here. Manila seems to be a society made
up of many cliques separated one from the other by
scorn and hate. Of course we are in with the pro-
American set, which shuts us out from any but one
kind. Now and then we come across an individual
who is outside our set and who knows all about
the others. I met a gentleman a few evenings ago
who claimed to know Manila society root and
branch, and he shocked me by saying that certain
persons I have supposed were the cream of society
here were absolutely tabooed by the really aristo-
cratic families of Manila. He also said it was a

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

great pity I did not know the really first-class fam-
ilies here, but that they were all very exclusive and
bitter against the Americans, being pro-Spanish in
their sympathies, and it would be " difficult." How-
ever, he hinted his good offices might be employed
in behalf of so " sympathetic " a sefiora as I, and he
was sure I would find myself much at home in
the charmed circle of Manila's upper ten, A few
evenings later I inquired about this person and his
standing from one of our circle of intimates, who
answered my question with the statement that my
informant was far from being all he should be, and
entertained me with many remarkable tales of his
character. Each social set makes claims bewilder-
ing to the newcomer.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

THE SOUTHERN TRIP

Transport "Sumner," Iloilo, March 22, 1901.

THE trip to Iloilo on a Spanish steamer to over-
take the transport Sumner, on which the Com-
mission is visiting the southern provinces, was
agreeable. The table was good, in Spanish style;
the rooms were dirty but not uncomfortable. The
scenery was picturesque, as we sailed in sight of
land almost all the time. We reached Iloilo about
three o'clock on Monday morning. At seven o'clock
the big quarantine launch came alongside and took
us over to the Sumner. El Sefior was waiting for
us. I was much relieved the moment I saw him.
He IS looking better than he did before I went home.
Judge Taft does not look quite so well as when I
left, but he has not grown thin. All the rest of the
party are well except one of the young ladies, who
broke her arm in three places, falling from a horse.
There are about fifty persons on the Sumner. The
Commission, the ladies, the secretaries, certain mem-
bers of the Federal Party, a number of reporters,
and the quartermaster. The staterooms are small,

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

but the dining room is large. The Commission is
feeling much gratified over the success of its work
in the Islands. What is more, the administration
in Washington appears to be satisfied, and at
present it looks as if we would remain in the
Philippines some months longer, as the Commission
will probably become the legislative body when civil
government is established. The party has been two
weeks on its travels. They have been having a busy
time. In addition to hard work they are expected
to attend balls, banquets, and receptions of all kinds
everywhere.

March 24, 1901.

WE left Iloilo yesterday at half past two. The
weather is cool and cloudy. To-day we have
been steaming along very slowly, for the channels
here are not marked and the captain is careful. Just
now we are in sight of lovely islands and the sky
is full of snowy clouds. The sunsets are wonderful
and altogether it is delightful after the monotony
of the Pacific. Auria has begun her daily lessons,
and Fraulein will, I think, 'do well with her. To-
morrow we reach Jolo.

Off Jolo, March 27, 1901;.

THIS morning on looking out of our stateroom
window we found ourselves off the town of
Jolo, which lies close to the shore, surrounded by
cocoanut palms and tropical trees of all kinds, prin-

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

cipally fruit trees of new and interesting varieties.
The mountains behind the town rise in a series of
isolated peaks wooded to the tops. The sea is like
a mirror and the sky cloudless. By breakfast time
dozens of little boats came alongside the Sumner
with fruit, hats, shells, and curios for sale. At half
past nine the officers of the garrison came atJbard.
Following them was a long double row of native
boats, gayly decorated. There were seventy-five
barges and boats, and they circled around the
transport beating tom-toms and playing on other
barbaric musical instruments, making the weirdest
sounds imaginable. From every boat a continuous
fusillade of fire crackers added to the din. Besides
the small boats, decorated with American and Moro
flags, there were three or four large barges con-
taining the more important Moros. These were
covered with colored canopies or great parasols to
protect the officials from the hot sun. In the prow
of each boat there were half naked men, wearing
gay colored turbans and brilliant loin cloths, danc-
ing a weird Malay dance accompanied by singing
and handclapping. The skin of the rowers shone
like bronze as they bent their backs to the oars. It
was like a scene in an opera. The flotilla sailed
around the transport several times, and thus gave
us a full view of it from all points. Then it divided
making a double guard of honor; and the Sultan
was seen coming from the shore in a launch.

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

It was only with great difficulty and after much
diplomacy that the Sultan was persuaded to come
aboard the transport. He was afraid it would com-
promise his dignity, but after he was convinced that
he must come, he donned a gold embroidered suit,
and allowed himself to be escorted to the ship. A
salute was fired, the marines were drawn up on
deck ; and the Commissioners received him with due
solemnity. Following the Sultan was a motley crew
of half-naked Moros, who acted as his suite. They
wore gay turbans and sashes, with barongs, or
large knives, sticking in their belts. Several wore
tight trousers of silk, but others wore simple cos-
tumes of bath towels. After the speeches of wel-
come the Sultan was introduced to us, and he told
us he would like to present us to his wives if we
had the time. He has about fifty. You can im-
agine how the children enjoyed this gay scene. They
flew about from one side of the ship to the other,
standing on deck stools to look at the guests. They
were presented to the Sultan, but I noticed they
shook hands very gingerly with him. After lunch-
eon we all went ashore to a native entertainment in
honor of the American authorities, and the after-
noon was taken up watching the strange dances for
which these folk have a great reputation. A dance
representing the catching of a swarm of bees was
most realistic. An old man performed it, and it
was evidently well done, for the assembled natives

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

watched it with the greatest interest. The play of
expression on the faces of the crowd was remark-
able. The bright colors of their turbans and
trousers, with that of the women's sarongs, pro-
duced a gay effect against the green trees and a bril-
liant white wall as a background. Jolo is a small
walled city ; about eighty per cent of the inhabitants
are Chinese. They had erected a triumphal arch
in honor of the Commission. It was very ingeni-
ously made of paper painted with dragons and
brilliant flowers. There is a little lighthouse at the
end of a pier built by the Spaniards. The principal
street of the village leads to this pier. Everything
seems to be freshly painted and clean. The short
principal avenue is lined with trees, and there are
two or three little public gardens, surrounded by
low, white-washed plaster walls. In fact Jolo is
a gem of a place. This evening everyone has gone
to a dance in town.

Off Basilan, March 28.

YESTERDAY morning we went over again to
Jolo to buy curios. There is not much of value
except knives and spears, but we found some coral,
two brass trays, and a queer brass betel-nut box.
Danny bought a spear and a big knife for me. Later
we went over to a neat Filipino village. It was
under cocoanut trees and open to every breeze. The
streets were paved with white coral, which gave the

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

place an especially clean appearance. In the after-
noon there was a review of the troops, and in the
evening we gave a dinner on board ship to all the
officers and the six ladies who live here with their
husbands. It was a very jolly affair. At twelve
o'clock midnight we left Jolo, and this morning we
landed at Basilan, a small town on an island of the
same name. There is a company of marines here
and five young officers of that corps. The town
has one small street and an avenue of trees leading
to the fort on a hill. These trees are like mature
oaks, but when in bloom are covered with a brilliant
scarlet flower and no leaves. They make a magnifi-
cent appearance. There is a great variety of woods
on the Island of Basilan. We bought fourteen
specimens of those that take a high polish. The
public school is taught by the officers, and we were
much amused at the description one of these young
men gave us of his struggle in teaching small Fili-
pinos American history without a text-book, de-
pending upon his memory for the facts. This place
comes up to my idea of a tropical country and
the real jungle. Many native huts are grouped
along the shore and backed by cocoanut groves
and bamboo forests. In Jolo and Basilan the
Commission was chiefly occupied in interviewing
army officers concerning the Moros. There was
great difference of opinion among these officers
concerning the powers of the Sultan and the

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Dattos, and concerning the questions of slavery and
religion.

The Americans have been in the country too
short a time, I suspect, and too few know the lan-
guage to have any positive knowledge about the
Moros, their habits, customs, or religion.

Zamboanga, March 30, 1901.

YESTERDAY, after leaving Basilan, we came
on to Zamboanga, over a glasslike sea and
past lovely green islands. We anchored in Zambo-
anga harbor about four o'clock. General Kobbe, the
commanding officer. Colonel Pettitt, and a number
of majors and captains, came on board. As soon
as the ceremony of receiving them was over, the
Commissioners went to the town where they inter-
viewed the natives. The town is not as pretty as
Jolo; in fact I believe there is no other place so
charming in the Philippines. Most of the town of
Zamboanga was burned, and only one street remains
as it was before the insurrectos ruined it. This
morning we went on shore and took a long am-
bulance drive into the country. We saw a dirty
Moro town, and after trying to buy some turbans
we went back to the club, where we saw a fine col-
lection of native knives belonging to Captain Clo-
man. The knives are magnificent ; some have gold,
silver, and ivory handles, and others are made with
wooden handles elaborately carved. In the morning

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

the Commission held a public session. The prov-
ince of Zamboang:a is peaceful, and the people ap-
pear interested in the new civil government. The
presidentes of all the towns we have visited are
gentle and homely old men, who certainly seem
friendly. The Commission holds an open session
in every town, to which all natives are invited, and
many of the principal inhabitants are asked to ex-
press their opinions on the topics discussed. At yes-
terday's session the native speakers looked intelli^
gent and spoke well. There are not many Filipinos
in Mindanao, but they want civil government.
They are poor, all their carabaos having died. The
military authorities have established a very good
government and naturally do not want anyone to
interfere with it. The Moros are not to be governed
under the same laws as the Filipinos.

Last night the officers of the garrison gave us an
unusually pretty ball ; the club house was well deco-
rated with palms and flowers. We received with
General Kobbe, and his aides brought up a motley
collection of Filipinos, men and women — Moros,
Chinamen, Spaniards, and Americans. It was like
a masquerade ball, and the costumes and colors
made a brave show. The Moros were the most pic-
turesque figures, dressed in gay trousers, sashes, and
turbans. One young Datto wore a green satin
jacket, skin-tight lemon colored trousers and an
orange silk sash; his turban was a gay striped hand-

99 584075 A

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

kerchief. The men look fierce and carry big knives,
but the women have very mild faces.

March 31, 1901.

THIS morning we drove in the ambulance
through a beautiful tropical country. The
groves of mangoes, cocoanuts, and other trees, with
a thick undergrowth of brilliant flowers and bushes,
make the jungle of our imagination. It was not
.noticeably hot, for a breeze came in from the sea.
We were received everywhere with smiles and wav-
ing of hands as we passed by, but everywhere we
are warned that this is part of a deep laid scheme
to deceive us.

Off Southern Mindanao, April i, 1901.

ON Monday morning after a twelve hours' run
we anchored off the coast near the mouth of
the Rio Grande de Mindanao. Almost before we
had cast anchor, the quartermaster's launch from
Cotabato, the principal town on the river, had made
fast to our gangway and two Dattos, powerful
chiefs of the Moros in this part of Mindanao, came
on board. Piang and Ali were their names. Piang
is a half-breed Chinese-Moro and is lively, clever,
and crafty. Ali, a more stolid and cruel-looking
man, sat impassive during the interview. Major
McMahon, the officer in command in Cotabato, ac-
companied them to the transport and remained to

100

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

dine with us. He sat at our table and impressed
us, both by his knowledge of and spirit toward the
natives. He reported everything quiet in this part
of Mindanao. In fact there has not been a shot
fired here since the Americans came in. The Moros
are regarded politically as wards of the nation like
our Indians. Justice is administered through the
Dattos,. but all are under the United States author-
ity. The Filipinos and Spaniards in this province
are few in number, and the Filipinos have almost all
been convicts and belong to the lowest class. Major
McMahon thinks the Moros are the best type of all
the races living here. Cotabato lies about four miles
up the Rio Grande de Mindanao, which may be
navigated for fifty or sixty miles by tugs and gun-
boats. The banks are fringed with a growth of
willowlike trees, and look very much like the banks
of the lower Sacramento River, with the difference
that monkeys, parrots and a beautiful white heron
were to be seen springing about or flying among
the trees.

The launch came for us very early yesterday
morning and the women of the party embarked in
good spirits, having heard of great bargains in
knives, sarongs, and betel boxes. The river has a
broad delta at its mouth and several entrances. We
steamed slowly up against a strong current. The
party was saluted with shots from small cannon,
by natives living along the banks of the river. The

lOI

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

whitewashed Spanish fort on a hill above the town
furnished the first glimpse of Cotabato. As we
approached the landing, gayly decorated boats shot
out from the shore toward our launch, and music
and the sound of exploding firecrackers filled the
air. Everywhere there were masses of brilliant color
and crowds of fierce, wild-looking natives. Over
the landing and up the streets were elaborate arches
and out of all the windows hung bunting and palm
leaves. One could hardly see the houses for the
decorations. As we stepped on shore the* native
school children sang "America," the Moros beat
tom-toms and fired off cannon, while the Filipino
bands played national airs. Altogether it was like
our reception in Jolo, only there were more persons
and more noise. This surprised us, for the town is
small, until we learned that the Moros had come in
from fifty miles around. They were a fierce-looking
lot of barbarians, especially the Dattos, who wore
the brilliant turbans and gay sarongs we had already
admired in Jolo and Zamboanga, but as there were
three times as many persons gathered together it
was many times as gay.

One object of interest to curio hunters was the
betel-nut box, carried by a slave behind the Datto.
Of chased silver, it is in shape something like a boat
or an elongated tub and contains many little chased
silver boxes. The Dattos will not sell these boxes,
as we found to our sorrow. They are regarded as

I02

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

a badge of honor for the high chiefs. From the
landing we went in procession up the long street,
escorted by soldiers and followed by a band of Fili-
pinos dressed in brilliant yellow flowered jackets
and tight-fitting cobalt blue cotton trousers. There
were also twenty natives in costume ; ten represented
Christians and ten were dressed like Moros. Half
the company was armed with swords and half car-
ried spears. Those with spears had long narrow
shields, and those with swords carried heavy round
ones of black wood decorated in a white diamond
pattern. The spears and long sharp swords looked
very formidable, and every now and then I caught
Auria by the hand, unable to refrain from a slight
shiver as I remembered the tales of Mohammedans
running amuck at the sight of Christians. Auria,
however, appears to like Dattos and shakes hands
with them on every occasion. In the Commandant's
headquarters a delegation of Chinamen, who are,
as everywhere, the middlemen and traders, awaited
the Commission. They have the name of being
great cheats, but they look clean and clever. Later
the Commission held a morning meeting, and,
among others, Datto Piang was interviewed on
many pertinent questions relating to population,
taxes, slavery, gambling, religion, and so on. He
is a canny creature, and I confess not to have felt
much confidence in him.

The interview closed with the usual compliments
103

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

on both sides, and Piang stated that the Moros so
loved the representatives of the American Govern-
ment that should they leave Mindanao he and his
men would follow them to America. Judge Taft
politely answered that he would be glad to have them
visit the United States. Piang, emboldened by this
affability, made the following statement which I
shall give just as the interpreter translated it:
" After the American troops came here, a colonel of
the Spanish army arrived here and he says to me:

* What did you do with the cross and ribbon and
band that I gave you ? ' * Pooh,' he, Piang, says :

* I threw them into the river,' and he, the Spanish
colonel, says : * What did you do that for ? ' and
he, Piang, says : * When the American troops came
here, they gave me the American flag, and that is
all I wanted, and everything the Spaniards gave me
I threw into the water.' He, the Spanish colonel,
says : * He, Piang, ought not to have thrown the
cross and band into the river, because the American
Government was just as bad as the Spanish Govern-
ment,' and he, Piang, says : * No, the American Gov-
ernment, when they came here, have treated me
like a brother,' and he, Piang, says : * When the
Spanish Government came it raised hell and fight
us all the time.' " With utmost gravity Judge
Taft thanked him again, and Piang walked oflf, fol-
lowed by his betel-nut box bearer and slave, feeling,
I am sure, that he had made a good impression.

104

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

After the interview with Piang, thinking the fun
was over, we went to look for curios, but I found
only two, a kriss and a sarong, or native skirt,
striped in brilliant yellow, red, and green. An officer
took us in an ambulance to the top of the hill from
which there is a fine view of the valley of Cotabato.
Through this valley winds the great river of Min-
danao. From our point of view one looked over the
green valley and scores of miles of wonderfully fer-
tile plain, dotted with clumps of cocoanut and bam-
boo, while vast stretches of sugar cane lie between
them, and Moro towns nestle in the wide green
expanse. It was late when we returned to town,
and we drove immediately to the club. There we
found a number of mestizas and natives assembled
with the members of the garrison. A lunch awaited
us, but the Commissioners were late as usual, and
it was half past one when, half starved, we sat
down to an excellent luncheon. I believe that the
Commissioners would rather listen to the talk of
natives than to eat. As soon as luncheon was over
we were escorted to the plaza where brilliant awn-
ings had been spread to protect us from the heat
We waited some time for the show to begin, but
the natives were gathering in crowds and it was
interesting to watch them, as it was probably amus-
ing to them to observe our strange attire and pale
faces. Finally the Commissioners appeared with a
train of gorgeously arrayed Dattos with their slaves.

105

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

One of the principal chief's followers was a villain-
ous-looking Moro with his ear hanging on his neck
where it had been sliced down by a blow from a
kriss. Many of the Moros are badly scarred. But
generally a sharp barong or kriss will cut a man's
head open at a blow, and, not long since, an officer
told me that a man was cut in two diagonally from
his right shoulder across the body to his left side
under the arm, one blow severing flesh, muscles, and
bones. I have my doubts as to the truth of this
tale.

The first number on the programme was a dance
by two little Moro girls. They were carried in
by slaves and placed on white mats, as they may
not walk on the ground. They wore long yellow
silk skirts, white waists, silver belts and suspender-
like bands of silver ribbon crossed over the breasts.
Their headdress was pretty and curious. A tightly
fitting band of chased metal passed over the fore-
head and front part of the head. The hair was
twisted into a knot at the back, through which a
horn comb was thrust, shaped like the crescent
moon. From the tips of the comb himg dozens of
long chains made of papier-mache balls covered
with red and blue silk. These long dangles floated
about as the little girls swayed to and fro in a
muscle dance. The hands and arms were used in
every conceivable way. These children's faces were
like sphinxes, as immobile as rocks, and they looked

1 06

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

as if they had never been young and would never
grow old. When they had finished there were
dances by women from the mountains, wearing
heavy brass rings on their ankles and bracelets from
their wrists to their elbows. All the dances were
similar in character, there was little motion of limb
but a snakelike muscle movement.

After the women, men with spears and shields
appeared and a repetition of the Jolo war dance was
given. Yet the last two dances were quite different
from any we had seen, for they were dramatic in
character. One represented a battle between Moros
and Christians. As the participants carried long
naked swords and sharp spears the fighting was
rather a series of poses than dancing. However, it
was realistic enough to make one glad when the
Christians utterly vanquished the Moros and stood,
each one triumphant, over the prostrate body of a
foe. The third number on the programme was a play.
It consisted of a dialogue between an old man in
gorgeous attire, who represented Spain, and half
a dozen little Moros whose skins, already dark, had
been blackened to represent the original inhabitants
of America. They were dressed in red shirts and
black paper-muslin trousers. Their antics were
amusing, and Spain seemed to be unable to subdue
them. The Chinese interpreter gave us to under-
stand that it represented the discovery of America.
It ended with a long-winded eulogy of the Civil
8 107

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Commission, characterizing its advent in the Philip-
pine Islands as the crowning event in the history
of the New World. It is not as amusing as one
might imagine to listen to eulogies for half an hour
in an unknown tongue. The pleased and interested
expression with which Judge Taft and his col-
leagues received the first ten or fifteen minutes of
the eloquent panegyric gradually stiffened into a
set smile, and I saw more than one yawn suppressed
behind a Manila hat brim before the orator con-
cluded. It was an experience to remember and we
went back to the Sumner tired and happy. The
long trip down the river on the launch was even
more beautiful in the moonlight than it had been
in the glare of the morning heat.

April 3, 1901.
ALL day we have been steaming past a lonely
-^"^ coast where the jungle encroaches on the shore
and rugged mountains suggest a wild interior coun-
try. Toward evening our course lay between the
mainland and an island; not far inland the isolated
cone of a volcano varied the' coast line. The moon
rose in a sky bright with the reflected glory of a
gorgeous sunset; the breeze was fresh and the sea
a bit rough; we sat on deck wrapped in shawls, a
rather unusual experience so far south. We were
in latitude six degrees north. It has been a relief to
be on shipboard for twenty-four hours, and we have

108

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

rested preparatory to the next stopping place,
Davao, which we shall reach to-morrow morning.

April 4, 1 90 1.

THIS morning we anchored off Davao, a small
village in a fine bay. Behind the nearer moun-
tains rises Apo, a large volcano, 10,312 feet high.
We cannot see the crater as the summit is covered
with clouds. It was hot this morning at seven, and
we are anchored about six miles from land.

April 5, 1901.

YESTERDAY was an interesting day. We
went on shore about nine, were received by
officers, Filipinos, Moros, and the representatives
of six mountain tribes. These mountain tribes are
the most interesting and the most picturesque people
we have yet met. The dress of the men is a richly
ornamented hemp or cotton jacket and trousers,
woven in elaborate geometrical patterns. Many of
the jackets are covered with spangles' made of
mother-of-pearl shells, sewed on in effective designs.
The trousers are short, reaching only to the knee,
and are similarly trimmed. Their arms are cov-
ered with bracelets, and they wear strings of beads
and brass rings about their legs just below the knee.
It is hard to see how they keep them from slipping
off. Their turbans are of two kinds. It is reported
that those who have killed one man wear, ordi-

109

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

narily, colored trousers, but those who have killed
two men wear a red jacket and a turban ornamented
with white spots woven in a prescribed pattern. They
adorn themselves with a g^eat many beads of dif-
ferent colors, either woven into belts or as earrings
and chains about the neck.

Many of the men carried embroidered sacks on
their backs covered with beads worked in fantastic
designs. All the different tribes, both men and
women, had their ear lobes stretched to carry im-
mense earrings ; some of the holes in their ear lobes
were large enough to carry a silver half-dollar. In
the endeavor to enlarge the hole quickly, the ear
lobe is frequently torn in two, leaving two strings
of flesh hanging down from the ear. In stature
the mountain tribes are larger and finer looking
than the Moros; many were really handsome in
their picturesque costume. Their . weapons were
spears and short knives. They carried the knife in
a metal sheath, curiously worked and trimmed with
little metal bells. The bells made a soft tinkling
sound. In addition each man wore a large bolo at
his side, thrust into a sheath. All were barefooted.
The women's dress consisted of a hemp skirt, beau-
tifully woven in rich colors and curious designs, a
jacket like those worn by the men, although not so
elaborately trimmed. Many women had large round
buttonlike disks of ivory in the lobes of their ears
about the size of a twenty-five cent piece, with

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

chains of beads crossing under the chin from ear
to ear.

After the Commission had received the delegates
of the various tribes, we went back to the Sumner
for lunch, and in the afternoon we returned to
shore and were entertained with dances. The
dances of the mountain tribes are more lively and
graceful, and more like our idea of dancing than
the Moro dances. Their anklets and bracelets made
a tinkling accompaniment to the dance. The mu-
sical instruments were three bronze tubs, beaten with
metal, and a wooden drum. The army officers at
Davao were a major in the regular army, two vol-
unteer captains, and several lieutenants. There were
two women and a boy at the post. Three of the
officers will settle here when they are discharged
and go into the business of cattle raising and farm-
ing. There is certainly a chance to make money
here if one is willing to exile himself from civiliza-
tion.

SuRiGAO, April 6, 1901.

SINCE leaving Davao, we have been steaming
steadily for thirty-four hours. The sea was not
very rough, still several were laid low, especially
the head of the Federal party, who was the most for-
lorn looking Filipino imaginable. Everyone was
low-spirited and I imagine more were ill than ac-
knowledged it. I asked several persons in a sym-

III

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

pathetic tone if they felt seasick, but they all re-
sented the idea. The east coast of Mindanao is
rugged and broken, with several high mountain
peaks. Early this morning we came to the north
coast and saw some beautiful green islands. The
currents were swift, and reminded me of places in
the trip to Alaska. The soil of the islands was
bright red. Surigao lies in a fine bay, with good
anchorage near the town. From the ship we can
see several large attractive-looking houses along
the shore; behind rise the palms and tropical for-
ests. It is raining hard and I doubt if we get on
shore to-day.

April 7, 1 90 1.

WE did go on shore at Surigao and were sorry
for it, as it poured and we came back
drenched. In all the towns we visit there are pleas-
ant and useful young officers, who devote themselves
to the ladies, and show, us the sights and tell us
what we can buy. We stayed for the Commission
meeting, but the natives were dirty, and the presi-
dentes looked stupid. One had been the insurgent
governor, and was a little shy in expressing himself
when asked about the affairs under his regime. It
must seem strange to these ex-insurrecto officers
that the authorities calmly discuss political matters
with them and ask their opinion about the best way
of governing the country instead of hanging them,

112

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

as the Spaniards would have done. We left Surigao
at four o'clock and steamed all night till seven
o'clock, when we reached Cagayan. Here General
Capistrano was brought in about four days ago,
the last of the insurgents in Mindanao. There are
some ladrones left but no longer an organized force.
The town lies about two miles up the river, and
several of us went up in the morning with the
Commission to attend the banquet at twelve. The
children and others of the party went up later in
a launch. The decorations were pretty, and pony
races as well as a banquet had been arranged for
our entertainment. For a year the town has been
deserted, all the inhabitants having gone to the
mountains. Since the surrender of Capistrano they
have been coming in, and yesterday the town was
full of amigos. General Capistrano took an im-
portant part in the conference. He has evidently
made up his mind that it is wiser to be a civil em-
ployee than a refugee general. The banquet was
very good, and plenty of red chillies made it quite
acceptable. The insurgent general sat by Mr. Wor-
cester, and leading citizens were scattered here and
there with the Commission. The garrison has a
little ice plant here, and the health of the soldiers is
good. In the afternoon the Commission held a
meeting. On account of a sudden storm the races
were declared off, and to our relief the ball had to
take place without us. Although we drove from

113

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

the landing to town in the morning, we went back
by the river in the evening.

The rain was pouring down when we gathered
the children and went to the river landing, and
night was rapidly falling. The tide was running
out and the current was very strong. We had left
the Commission still holding their meeting and we
sent for them several times before they came, and
when they did arrive the sun had set. The officer
in charge of the launch was worried at the delay in
starting, as the tide was rapidly falling, and he did
not like to go down the river in the dark. There
were the remains of a ruined bridge in the river,
which at high tide was covered with the water. To
pass it safely at low tide required careful navigation
by day, and by night it was dangerous. We were
crowded in the launch and cutter, and floated down
the river very slowly, hardly turning the propeller
of the launch, but suddenly, bump! bump! and we
struck the stone bridge, carrying away the guard
of the propeller and bending one of the blades. This
was somewhat terrifying, for we did not know how
much damage had been done, and every time the
propeller blade struck the guard it made a noise as
if a hole were being knocked in the bottom of the
boat. However, we all remained quiet until we
struck something else. This so frightened the chil-
dren that some of them began to cry. In addi-
tion we were nearly suffocated by heat, steam, the

114

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

warm rain, and the crowd. After getting off the
second time the launch stuck fast in the mud. Time
and again we ran aground, and finally we were
obliged to unload the launch into the already over-
loaded cutter. We knew the river was full of alli-
gators and this added to our discomfort. It took
us two hours to go about a mile. Finally we reached
the bar and anchored. Here we attempted to at-
tract the attention of the officers of the Sumner by
burning red signal lights. After a time the captain
saw us, and the Sumner turned her searchlight on
the channel so we could see our way out, while she
steamed herself as near shore as she dared. A
second cutter was lowered and met us half way,
but we did not have to use it, for the sea had
suddenly become smooth as so often happens after
dark in the tropics. Had the sea been rough and
breaking on the bar I don't know what would have
happened to us.

Da PITA N, April 8, 1 90 1.

THIS morning when I awoke we were anchored
in a landlocked bay, like a Swiss Alpine lake,
with a village nestled in the dip of the mountains,
dominated by a great church, built of whitewashed
galvanized iron, but looking like marble in the sun-
light. Soon after anchoring the rain came on and
I did not go ashore. They say it is a pretty little
town and in a most satisfactory condition, having

115

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

never been in insurrection. There is an efficient
army officer in charge who will remain in the civil
service. This afternoon we go to Dumaguete and
thence to Iloilo.

April 9, 1901.

WE stood off Dumaguete, a town in the eastern
part of the island of Negros, about five o'clock
last night in a pouring rain. The water near this
coast, as near many of the islands, is too deep to per-
mit the ship to anchor. In such cases the captain sails
up and down all night off the shore. It is unpleasant
when there is not a landing near the anchorage, for
we are obliged to land in boats, and in rough seas
they toss about in a terrifying manner. The trip
is especially to be dreaded if the children are with
us. Dumaguete is a clean, pretty little town on a
fertile island, where there has been no trouble, and
the people are well-to-do. They raise sugar and
cocoanuts, rice and other crops, and, according to
the knowing ones, it is the best place for business
in the Philippines. There was a very large crowd
at the landing to meet us. A raft of bamboo had
been anchored to the shore and ran out in the shal-
low water to the launch. The natives had not
imagined we were such weighty persons. There-
fore, when Judge Taft and his colleagues stepped
on the raft it sank over our ankles, and we all got
our feet wet. A pretty arch had been erected near

116

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

the shore, and from the landing to the townhall, a
distance of two or three blocks, a bamboo arbor
decorated with flags and bunting and covered with
sheeting kept off the sun. There were five Filipino
bands besides the military band at the landing, and
when we started up the street all six began to play.
They marched beside us up the road, each playing
a different tune. The effect was ear-splitting.

We reached the gayly decorated Ayuntamiento,
where we were received by the presidentes and their
wives. The latter were gayly dressed in blue and
pink silk shirts, and embroidered " camisas " and
neckerchiefs. One girl wore a skirt of red and
white stripes; the waist was blue with white stars.
The men all wore black coats, and some of them
were especially fine in ruffled and shirred shirt
fronts. We sat with the mestizas in straight-backed
chairs around the room and listened with more or
less interest to a discussion of the division of the
island into two provinces, to be called Occidental
and Oriental Negros. A mountain range separates
the two parts of the island, and there is much dis-
satisfaction at the manner in which taxes gathered
in Oriental Negros are spent. There was as usual
much eloquence displayed and very little speaking
to the point, but with his imfailing kindness and
tact Judge Taft disentangled facts from their wrap-
ping of oratory and toward evening the division was
satisfactorily arranged. The two sessions were in-

117

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

terrupted by a luncheon served downstairs, in which
boiled beans and numberless dishes of stewed cara-
bao meat figured, ending with a carabao milk cus-
tard. I shiver to think of it, but it was the best
they had. We came back early, and I am not going
back to the dinner and ball to-night, for I am too
tired and the memory of the carabao stew remains
with me still. The long-suffering Commissioners
are obliged to be present late this afternoon at races
in honor of their visit. This is beginning to pall,
and I for one wish we were going back to Manila,
now that the really strange and interesting part of
the trip is over. Hereafter the entertainment will
consist of balls and banquets in Filipino towns, and
no more Moros or hill tribes will add interest and
variety to our visits on shore.

San Jose, Antique, April 13.

SINCE writing at Dumaguete, we have been so
busy that we have not had one moment from
early morning till late at night. The reception at
Iloilo was enthusiastic. The whole town was deco-
rated, and there were a number of arches of white
cotton cloth, painted with figures. There were others
of bamboo that were very pretty, especially at night
when they were hung with colored lanterns. In
two days we attended four banquets, two balls, and
a reception. We were cheered and received with
hats off wherever we passed, and bands without

118

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIALS WIFE

number played at every turn. In several towns little
girls threw flowers at us, and in fun some one said
this morning that it would seem very tame to go
back to America and not have a band turn out.

I like the Visayans better than the Tagalogs.
They seem more cultivated and attractive than the
latter. The Visayan girls and women are very
pretty. Those of the " upper '* classes dress with
great elegance and wear gorgeous jewels. There
are pearls like pigeon eggs and diamonds without
number in Iloilo, in old-fashioned settings. Our
very modest adornments fill these gayly bedecked
ladies with surprise. One of them asked a secre-
tary's wife why the Commission ladies had not
brought their diamond necklaces and tiaras with
them, and to " save our faces " she calmly replied :
" We were afraid they would be stolen." Bro-
caded satin skirts are worn on state occasions, and
are considered the height of elegance. My ancient
pink brocade is the glory of the party and meets
with the approval of the natives, who do not suspect
its age nor the fact that it is quite out of style at
home.

The young Filipinos we meet in society are very
polite, and desire to be thought men of the world.
They are the rich and prominent citizens, but at
the public meetings of the Commission there are
many natives who wear their shirts outside their
trousers. The great mass of the people are

119

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

wretchedly poor and live in dirt and misery. In
Jaro a gentleman told me that he and his family,
with almost the whole population, fled to the moun-
tains when the Americans came. They had been
told that their lives and property would be destroyed
by the soldiers, who had no respect for women or
children. Now that they have learned the true in-
tentions of the Americans they seem ready to receive
us without reserve. The newly appointed fiscal was
overflowing with expressions of joy at the satis-
factory relations established between the Americans
and Filipinos. Everyone, even army officers, now
acknowledge that the insurrection is nearly over and
that civil government will soon be established every-
where in the Islands.

In Molo the Woman's Peace League gave us a
reception, and one could not but smile at the thought
that the pink, blue, and green little fluttering crea-
tures bedecked with diamonds, who offered us
sickeningly sweet ices and politely asked us if we
would like a glass of whisky, were really the ladies
in the movement for the emancipation of women
we had heard so eloquently described by a brilliant
young orator. We are often offered glasses of
whisky by these misguided natives, who think all
Americans, male and female, drink it by the bottle.
One dainty little mestiza vainly pressed a large beer
mug full on our member from Vermont. He told
her that Americans do not drink so much whisky.

1 20

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

She, however, looked calmly at him and said slowly
and distinctly: " You lie! " an instance of the kind
of English these people are learning from the Amer-
icans.

We attended a large dinner in Jaro during our
stay where we met several charming women with
gracious manners. At all these functions the hosts-
and principal inhabitants escort us to the table, but
they never sit down with us. It is the custom for
them to wait on their guests. The Filipino who was
entertaining us in Jaro had been influential in the
Spanish days, and had often entertained General
Weyler. My escort was a clever young lawyer,
and as he was more entertaining than Filipinos usu-
ally are, I asked him why the gentlemen did not
sit down beside the ladies they escorted to dinner,
and invited him to sit down by me. He was quite
overcome by this amiable attention and said the
Spaniards never invited their hosts to sit down at
the same table in houses where they were visiting. .
To tell the truth, I repented my invitation later for
my escort was so charmed by my affability that he
has haunted me at every ball and banquet since. At
the public banquets it is touching to see the old
presidentes in their best black coats flying about
wiping off knives and forks and passing dishes.
They are not especially deft either, and for my part
I wish they would not do it, but it is costumbre del
pais and we have to submit.

121

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

The public meetings of the Commission were
held in the theater and I attended several ses-
sions. The box provided for us was really a
box, and the air was so bad that I did not
enjoy it. There was a large audience of natives
present including alcaldes and teniente alcaldes,
consejales, sindicos, secretarios, and so on, from
thirty-three pueblos of Panay, one hundred and
forty-nine in all. They rejoiced in most sonorous
names, as for example, Francisco Madeista, Mar-
cario Supersticioso, Petronillo Villahermosa, Sin-
foroso Cartegena, Anselmo Nacionales Orbe, Fran-
cisco Armada Intrepido. Many of the questions
and their answers brought out the difference be-
tween our ideas and those to which these people are
accustomed. One speaker, for instance, suggested
that presidentes might appoint delegates who had
special training for the work to attend the quarterly
meetings in their place. The answer was that the
object of the quarterly meeting was to enable the
untrained presidente to learn from the more experi-
enced. In speaking of the ratio of salary between
the presidente and secretary of a pueblo, one some-
what shabby-looking representative thought the sec-
retary ought to have proportionally more because he
was usually a poor man and did all the work, while
the presidente was rich and had comparatively little
to do. He was told that it was not the purpose of
the Commission to restrict the position of presidente

122

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

to rich men, and under the code considerable work
would be required of him. The majority of the
speakers objected to the land tax, and one idealist
maintained that the method of the municipal code
for classifying municipalities was illogical, because
according to the law the towns were classified ac-
cording to population instead of according to the
culture of the inhabitants. When asked how one
could determine the culture of a town, he said any-
one could tell by merely entering it. After a pro-
tracted discussion in which Judge Taft showed
phenomenal patience, the gentleman was politely re-
quested to embody his ideas on this point in writing
and forward it to the Commission in Manila. I
hope this brilliant idea will often be put in practice.
Finally General Delgado, formerly the insurrecto
leader in Panay, was appointed governor on the
recommendation of the military governor.

In Iloilo we met General Hughes, who has been
of great assistance to the Commission, and Major
Noble who has helped him in the pacification of
Panay. On our departure from Iloilo we were tired
out, for we had been going every moment for three
days.

We left at midnight and at seven this morning
reached Antique. I was so tired after last night's
ball and banquet that at first I determined not to
go on shore, but at the last moment changed my
mind. Antique is situated in a broad bay, with a
9 123

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

beautiful beach and a cocoanut grove growing close
to the water's edge. The town is small, but the
people had built four elaborate bamboo arches; one
was three stories high like a tower, with a balcony
from which two little girls dressed as Goddesses of
Liberty waved American flags in welcome. Under
this arch the presidente of the town received us and
read a speech of welcome. There were many amus-
ing mottoes on the arches. " Glory and honor to
the Civil Commission." " Hurrah to the Civil Com-
mission U. S. A." " Many welcomes to the Hon.
Civil Commission." As we passed under the second
arch doves decorated with red, white, and blue rib-
bons were let loose. A band preceded us, and after
passing along the roadway for some distance we
found ourselves in a great square, where a Goddess
of Liberty was seen presumably enlightening the
world with a torch that looked like a big club. She
stood on a pedestal, on which were printed, regard-
less of spelling, the names Wasington, Lincon, Mc-
Kinly, and Taff. The figure was of wood, and we
learned she was a saint brought from an interior
town and dressed up in secular garments for the
occasion. She wore a purple gown with a deep
flounce, and had a crown on her head and an Amer-
ican flag around her waist. She was an extraordi-
nary creature but served as a text to Judge Taft
who, referring to this statue, fondly imagined to be
modeled after that of Liberty Enlightening the

124

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

World, said such a statue was well timed in its ap-
plication to this province and these islands; that
liberty was a force much misunderstood. It did not
mean license to do everything, but it meant that
condition which prevails under a government or-
ganized to secure such liberty to the individual as
was consistent with law and order. Judge Taft's
opening addresses are always admirable, and when
they are dressed up in the rolling sonorous Spanish
of the clever secretary, and adorned with the flour-
ishes so attractive to the native taste, they always
make an impression. On more than one occasion
I have heard Judge Taft say that when he has made
a businesslike statement in his plain Anglo-Saxon
style, he leans back to enjoy the mellifluous tones of
the secretary translating his plain talk into the ora-
torical Spanish diction.

Here, as everywhere, the people are begging for
public schools. They have none in this province,
and a plea for them formed part of all the addresses
by native speakers.

There was a very agreeable officer's wife at the
post, the only American woman in town, who gave
us homemade American cake and lemonade, and kept
up our spirits until the banquet hour at three. The
committee expected us to take luncheon at the offi-
cers' quarters, and have the banquet and ball in the
evening, but we could not wait. The luncheon, al-
though prepared in a hurry, was surprisingly good.

125

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

The feature of the table decoration was a great silk
flower in the center, which opened as we sat down,
allowing dozens of little birds to escape.

I was sorry for the native ladies who had been
making new dresses for weeks to wear at the ball
which we could not attend. We are taking with us
an insurrecto general who two weeks ago was in the
mountains fighting our men, and who now is our
guest and apparently our warm friend. I hope he
has no bolos and no bad intentions. We are steam-
ing along with a fine cool breeze, refreshing after
the heat and the banquet. It was piping hot on shore
to-day, and it was touching to see the bareheaded
children and old men and women trudging along
in the dust accompanying us to the shore to say
good-by.

Opp Cebu, April i6.

TO-MORROW it will be two months since I left
San Francisco the second time for the Philip-
pines, and the day before yesterday, in Capiz, we
received our first letters from home. Everyone on
the boat was busy with them all the morning. It
was Sunday, and I determined to give myself the
luxury of a rest, so I did not go ashore, but remained
quietly reading and writing. Yesterday, however,
I made up for it. We went over to Capiz on a
launch at eleven o'clock, and did not return till after
twelve at night. Capiz is situated some miles up a

126

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

river, and ever since the last river trip, a week ago,
I am not anxious to float about in the darkness at
low tide. Last night, however, all went well except
for the length of time it took us to return — one hour
and a half — and a rough sea when we were in the
channel. The river was full of phosphorus tipping
every ripple, and behind our cutter trailed a long
wake of light. The fishes darting through the water
were goldfish, and drops of molten gold fell from
our fingers as we dipped them in and out of the
water. Along the banks were thorn trees, full of
fireflies. They looked like Christmas trees. Capiz
is a pretty place, and there were some unusually fine
illuminations. Four houses had been arranged for
us on shore, where we were expected to spend the
night, but we decided to return to the ship. The
banquet was served in the convent, where a number
of priests and ladies served us.

In Capiz we noticed a number of ladies in cos-
tumes that may be said to mark a transition from the
charming mestiza costume to the European dress. It
is ugly ; a tucked waist of silk, with lace and ribbons,
and over this a neckerchief, while flowers and bows
decorate the shoulders. Almost all of the girls wore
tight belts, with buckles, something quite unusual.

The public session in Capiz began as usual with
the reading of the Provincial law, which I am sure
I can now repeat from memory, in both English and
Spanish. One of the presidentes was eloquent and

127

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

complimentary in his reference to the beautiful
American ladies present, and expressed his admira-
tion at their fortitude in accompanying the Commis-
sion, and undergoing the many hardships of the
journey in their desire to help and benefit the Fil-
ipinos. I thought of the carabao stew and the warm
champagne, and said softly: "Mwy bien." I am
afraid the credit we received was not altogether de-
served, but Filipinos regard a sea trip as full of
danger and misery.

The province of Capiz is in a sad condition, hav-
ing been devastated by war, locusts, and the cattle
pest. The streets were thick with dead locusts. The
presidente of Jimeno, who spoke very good English,
reported that the people of his town were very poor,
and were crying : " No money to pay policemen, no
money to buy rice. All the carabao are dead and
the rice is all gone, eaten by locusts." It was after-
wards learned that several delegations from the in-
terior were in town, but did not attend the meeting
because they were barefooted. A small ten-year-old
boy, Penonto Ludivico Hedrosallo, made an address
in excellent English with an almost perfect accent.
He was complimented by Judge Taft, who hoped
that very soon not one, but all of the boys of Capiz,
would speak English, to which sentiment there was
a salvo of Muy bien from the audience.

128

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Off Bohol, Friday, April 19.

THE days fly now, and one is like another. We
left Cebu this morning early, and are steaming
along. The coast is said to be dangerous with shoals,
rocks, and reefs. Our captain, however, is a very
careful navigator, and takes no risks. We spent two
days in Cebu. It is the largest town we have vis-
ited since leaving Iloilo. It is dirty and dusty at
this season, and, according to the commandant, a
dangerous place yet unpacified. There are many
rich citizens, who live in fine houses, and there are
numbers of wealthy Chinese shopkeepers. There are
several fine churches ; one contains a celebrated won-
der-working black wooden statue called the Santo
Nino. Carromata, coaches, victorias, and every
available vehicle on two or four wheels met us at
the landing. We started from the landing in fairly
good order, but I cannot say there was anything
imposing in the procession, for once in motion it
straggled or raced through the streets according to
the greater or less degree of speed which the yelling
cocheros could beat from their ponies. The Filipino
cochero is a sport, and sometimes a carromata horse
of dilapidated appearance will develop extraordinary
speed. As the driver has no respect for rank, the
conveyances of the private secretaries sometimes ar-
rive first at the place of public meeting, and notables
rush out to receive the " President of the Honor-
able Civil Commission." They begin their eloquent

129

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

speeches of welcome as the private secretaries and
their wives descend from the carriages. Explana-
tions and protests follow in halting Spanish, and the
bewildered natives have to begin all over again when
the portly form of " the Honorable Presidente "
looms up.

On our arrival at the Ayuntamiento a delegation
of principales and citizens made long speeches of
welcome and a reception in the courtroom followed.
Among the guests were two elegant Chinamen,
richly dressed, wearing large bell-shaped hats tipped
with glass knobs and covered with red fringe. After
the reception we went to the theater, quite a large
building, where Judge Taft addressed the natives
on the unsatisfactory condition of the Island of
Cebu. Although Cebu has been recommended for
civil government by the military governor, there is
a general belief that the inhabitants do not deserve
it, as there is much unrest in the province, and bands
of insurrectos prowl about in the neighborhood of
the capital to the great alarm of the officer in com-
mand. President Taft's speech was quite to the
point. He told the delegates that the question they
must face was whether they desired two or three
hundred men to continue a hopeless struggle after
the insurrection had collapsed, and keep the people
of Cebu, the majority of whom want peace, from
achieving that desire. In order to obtain peace they
must organize to get it, and the Commission had

130

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

come to see if they could do it. " This, gentlemen,
is the unfortunate truth. It is not as grateful to
your ears as some other things that might be said,
but we believe in speaking plainly and showing you
what our attitude is, and what we think yours should
be. We want to give you civil government ; to give
you such individual rights as are enjoyed by every
citizen of the United States, but within the sound
of arms the law is silent. While nothing would be
a source of more regret to the Commission than to
leave the Island of Cebu without a civil organiza-
tion, the Commission will not hesitate to do so, and
to leave it to the unfortunate prominence of being
the only province in the archipelago not organized,
because of its condition, should that condition de-
mand it." You see the President of the Commis-
sion is not the soft-hearted coddler of insurrectos
that some critics of civil government would have
you believe. Later he held out the promise of har-
bor improvements paid for from the general fund
if peace were permanently established.

A patience-testing flow of Filipino oratory fol-
lowed, and after a time we escaped and drove about
the picturesque town with the wife of a prominent
citizen whose father is an old Chinaman. Although
he is homely as our old cook, his Spanish is good,
and he appears to be a gentleman. We saw a num-
ber of rambling old churches, and bought a few
pieces of jusi, ending our drive at the house of the

131

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

presidente, who has seven daughters. They are
pretty girls, and have agreeable manners. Auria
was made happy by the gift of a toy nipa house and
a pink jusi dress. We returned to the Sumner to
dress, and in the evening went on shore to a banquet
given by the town in our honor. We were invited
at half-past seven, but it was nine before we sat
down to dinner. This was caused by the too great
politeness of the presidente's wife, who came to
meet us at the landing, escorted us to the club, and
then went home to dress. This took her so long
that everyone was out of patience.

Finally dinner was announced, and we filed in.
In every town we have' surprises, and in this place
the table arrangements were different from any we
had seen before. There was a small table placed
at the upper end of the room. At one end was
placed the wife of the presidente of Cebu, at the
other end was Mrs. Taft, while Judge Taft sat on
one side midway between the two ladies. They were
so far away from each other and everyone else that
conversation was impossible, so they sat and ate
their dinner in solitary grandeur. The dinner was
long; there were thirty-two different courses on the
bill of fare. The members of the club waited on
the table, and in consequence we were badly served.
A noted Filipino judge, solemn and sedate, supplied
us with knives and forks. He carried them off and
wiped them on a towel behind the door, and then

132

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

returned them to the guests, but never to the orig-
inal possessor. I sat where I saw this performance,
so I kept mine during the rest of the dinner. The
ball was tiresome and we went home early, escorted
by a guard of soldiers as far as the landing, on
account of the treacherous character of the citizens,
so said the commandant. Yesterday morning the
wife of the presidente, with fourteen leading Fil-
ipinas, came on board. We showed them over the
ship; they went everywhere like a flock of birds,
their sleeves fluttering, their slippers clacking, and
their voices chattering. Our sailing captain has a
great scorn for these people. He said not one of
them took any interest in the laundry or kitchen,
nor could they ask an intelligent question. Finally,
we treated them to ginger beer, with ice, and com-
missary candy. One old lady who had never taken
ice before had a chill, and the ginger beer tickled
her nose, so altogether we had an exciting time.
We went on shore at noon to visit the house of the
Chinaman I mentioned, where luncheon was served,
and each one received a toothpick of silver and
mother-of-pearl. I have quite a collection of these
curiosities.

At last we left Cebu, tired out with all the enter-
tainment, but the visit had not been in vain, for the
citizens promised to stop supporting the insurrec-
tion, and they were g^ven civil government on trial.

133

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

April, 19, 1 90 1.

THIS morning we anchored oflf Bohol, and the
town of Tagbilaran lay in front of us on a hilL
It was raining over there, and the town gleamed
like an opal. The water was deliciously green, and
one tall palm dominated the place, rising above the
white roofs of the town. About twelve o'clock we
started for shore. The town lies on a bluff, and is
approached either by a carriage road or the so-called
river, which is really a strait between the islands of
Bohol and Panglao. We went up by carriage
through a tropical forest. It was beautiful, for at
every turn we caught glimpses of the emerald green
water, mottled with pale gray g^een where it shoals
over coral.

The town is exceedingly picturesque. There are
some good stone houses, a fine well-proportioned
church, and a most attractive rambling old convento,
built on a hillside, with double walls and terraces
winding around it on the river side. We had an
amusing time; the officers had provided a buffet
luncheon for us, and after it we took a siesta in a
big bedroom overlooking the street. As we could
not shut the windows, we were obliged to wash our
faces and comb our hair in full view of the natives,
to their intense interest. This island is yet under
strict military law, and no one is allowed to go out
of town without an escort of fifty men. Mrs. Taft
and I went driving in a quilez through the streets,

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

and the officers made us take a pistol to our great
discomfort, as we were afraid it would go off and
hurt us. We visited the church and took a walk,
without a pistol, through picturesque roadways,
with steps cut in the coral rock. I cannot tell you
how European and mediaeval it was.

In the evening there was a banquet in the con-
vento. The rooms were decorated in fresco, repre-
senting gardens and mountain scenery wonderfully
well done. The feature of the dinner was a great
centerpiece made of endless varieties of bottled and
brandied fruits, with fancy flasks of whiskies and
all kinds of liqueurs and bottles of strange appear-
ance. I was prevailed upon by an insurrecto gen-
eral to taste a curious dark liqueur, a liver tonic as
I found out later, to my horror. Don't you wonder
we are alive? But "die rather than hurt a prin-
cipale's feelings " is my motto, and I live up to it.
If they were really waiters one would not mind re-
fusing the deadly " dulce " and lukewarm cham-
pagne, but by refusing a " sigh of love " (a sweet
cake) from the hand of a wavering " amigo/' one
might turn him into an " enemigo/* while an insur-
recto might be won over by drinking with him a
glass of liver tonic. I inquired afterwards about
the remarkable display of bottles on the table, and
learned that they had been lent for the occasion by
the saloon keeper and the apothecary in town, and
the uncorked stock was to be returned.

135

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

After dinner we sat out on the terrace and
watched the fireflies. We went down the river in
two unsteady rowboats, and had a difficult time in
getting oflf the shoals. There have been two inci-
dents in the past week that were a relief from the
monotony of the banquets and balls; one at Cebu,
where we arrived at sunset, and were immediately
surrounded by canoes full of natives. They per-
formed a weird dance, accompanied by song and
handclapping. This was preliminary to diving for
pennies. Early the next morning we were awak-
ened by the same songs and dancing. In Tagbilaran
there was a torchlight procession in our honor.
There were at least three hundred transparencies in
line. They were made of colored paper in various
shapes, of ships, stars, flags, animals, and fruits in
endless variety. It was like a fairy scene.

With many misgivings Bohol has been given civil
government. It is hoped the people will try to stop
the fighting now that Aguinaldo has published a
proclamation telling all loyal Filipinos to lay down
their arms. Samson, the leader of the insurrectos,
is a Tagalog, whom the natives of Bohol fear and
hate. He will not come in, for he has been told that
he will not be pardoned, as there are many crimes
to his account besides insurrection. It is said that
he has relatives in town who rent houses to the
army and send the money out to the insurgents in
the field. It was finally decided by the commanding

136

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

general that anything Samson would do to bring
about peace would be considered in the proceedings
against him.

April 20, 1901.
n'^O-DAY is Sunday, and I am resting. We are
-^ lying off Tacloban, and the Commissioners
have just gone on shore. No doubt, when they
come back, they will tell us it is the finest place they
have seen.

Tacloban, April 21, 1901.

THIS morning the launch carried us all ashore.
We found it a charming place. The town was
decorated in palms and bunting, and with elaborate
arches. On the top of one arch a large eagle of
painted bamboo flapped its wings in a most life-
like manner when we passed under it. It is needless
to mention that several bands were in attendance.
In almost every street there were rows of banana
trees, brought in from the jungle and stuck in the
ground to decorate the town. There are charming
drives over coral roads, hard and smooth as mac-
adam. The colonel has a very nice house, as neat
as wax, a garden, a lawn, and a summer house.
After luncheon we went back rather early to the
ship, for the wind was blowing and the waves were
high. The Commissioners went off toward even-
ing on a gunboat with General Hughes to Cat-

137

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

balogan. They refused to take us, much to our dis-
appointment. We think it is because Samar, the
island where they are going, is in an insurgent dis-
trict, and they say the town is fired on every day or
two. We shall be here till Wednesday noon.

Tuesday, April 22.

WE are now in the country of the insurrectos,
and begin to hear of fighting. Major Gil-
more has just returned from an all-night hike he
had made into the country back of this town. An-
other party is out hunting two native friends of the
Americans who were carried off yesterday. The
two islands of Samar and Le3rte lie so close to each
other that the insurrectos in Samar swoop down on
the innocent natives of Leyte and carry them off.
The inhabitants of Le3rte are not a bad people, and
the officers and soldiers seem to have a friendly
feeling toward them. Schools have been established,
and one could see in several towns a real enthusiasm
among the natives for the officers in command.
There is here a strong desire for education, and the
people of Tacloban wish to have secondary schools
established. They say they are willing to contribute
money for buildings. One of the features of the
public session was the presence of a number of the
native clergy. This is the first town we have visited
in several weeks where they have not discussed
changing the capital to some other town. Major

138

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Allen has been appointed governor, and the choice
was that of the people as well as of the Commis-
sion. He has been very successful in managing the
natives.

We are now turned toward Manila, and shall
reach there in about twelve days. I, for one, shall
be glad to go where I can move about a bit. We
are very crowded in our stateroom. The Commis-
sion returns from Catbalogan to-morrow, and we
sail at noon.

Between Albay and Nueva CAceres, April 27.

THE Commission returned earlier than they ex-
pected, so we left Tacloban in the morning
about dawn. We had a remarkable experience to-
day. We steamed for hours through water from
seventy to one hundred and twenty feet deep, and
we could see the bottom as plainly as if it were not
more than three feet from the surface. The bottom
was clear white coral, and in places we could see
rocks. As these waters are practically uncharted, it
requires most careful sailing to avoid shipwreck.
We have been in constant danger of grounding or
going on reefs. The captain says that after we have
left the next place, Nueva Caceres, we shall only
be exposed to the ordinary perils of the sea. Doesn't
that sound cheerful? We sailed from Tacloban to
Albay, which turned out to be a ruined town, and
the Commission meeting was held in Legaspi, cele-
10 139

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

brated in our memory chiefly as being the place
where the Hancock quartermaster was wounded.

This is a great hemp country; fine abaca, a thin
pretty fabric, is woven here. Legaspi lies at the
upper end of a bay, at the foot of a mountain over
eighty-nine hundred feet high, an active volcano
that has caused the destruction of Albay and the
surrounding towns on several occasions. The last
eruption was in 1894, when a thousand persons
were killed, and all the houses and churches de-
stroyed. Before the town had been rebuilt came the
war, and the insurrectos burned all that the earth-
quake had left. This morning we drove out, with
an escort of twenty men, to the two towns, through
a jungle that was only a short time since cultivated
fields. The insurrectos are lively, and said to be
within fifteen miles of town. Albay itself looked
not unlike Pompeii, for we saw street after street
with only the lower story intact and the interior
walls standing.

Beyond the ruins of Albay, which are already
beautiful with tropical vines and brilliant flowers,
lies Garaga, a half-ruined place, dominated by a
fine old church and convento overlooking the town.
We drove in an ambulance accompanied by several
young officers and the surgeon, who amused them-
selves by telling us of hairbreadth escapes, and hint-
ing that insurrectos were concealed behind every
bush. At the foot of the hill we had to leave the

140

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

ambulance in order to climb up to the church. The
path was narrow, and on either side the impenetrable
undergrowth hemmed us in. The officers declared
this pathway a fine place for an ambush, and specu-
lated what would happen if the concealed insurrectos
should really make an attack. We suggested that the
presence of three second lieutenants precluded the
possibility of such an occurrence, but I must confess
I was glad when we came out on the open plaza in
front of the church. The fagade of this building is
black and weatherbeaten, but it is elaborately carved
and decorated with twisted columns, and the deep
niches still contain statues of saints. The old con-
vento is a big rambling place in which a few soldiers
are quartered. From the broad windows are ex-
quisite views of the Bay of Albay and the volcano
of Mayon. Below us on the plain we saw the top
of a church tower standing up like a sentinel from a
lava bed. It is all that is left of a buried town. All
over the plain at the base of Mount Mayon are towns
hidden beneath the lava and ashes. The volcano is
higher than Mount Vesuvius, and a wreath of smoke
floats continually about its summit. The charm of
the place and its surroundings is indescribable. We
sat pensively in a window overlooking the buried
town, and might have yielded to melancholy
thoughts had not the second lieutenants brokeft in
upon them with a dozen bottles of ginger ale and a
tin pail of ice.

141

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

We left the place with a friendly pity for the
friars who had never known the joy of owning an
ice plant. On our return to Legaspi we found that
the preparations for our luncheon had been delayed
by an accident to the young daughter of the presi-
dente. Wishing to dress her hair h la Americaine,
she had burned herself quite badly. This cast a
gloom over the party, but finally the luncheon was
served to our great relief.

In the afternoon, the public meeting and the
provincial law palling on us, we went out to buy
abaca, a pretty material made of hemp woven in
stripes. We find that although our Filipino friends
receive us as brothers, and are overwhelmed with
joy at our presence, they do not hesitate to ask
us three prices for their wares. The wives of the
principales beguile the pesos from our pockets
while our husbands are bestowing civil govern-
ments with liberal hand on their provinces. It's
rather shabby treatment, don't you think? And
what shall I ever do with all the stuff I have
bought ?

One feature of our visit to Albay we have not
enjoyed. The landing has been most disagreeable.
The bay is almost always rough, and, although the
trips to and from shore have been made in a tug,
our launch being too small, we were tossed about
and shaken pp in a decidedly violent manner. At
the landing place we had to watch our chance and

142

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

be hauled up by the arms, afraid we might be
dropped back into the water.

We are all safely on board at last, and preparing
to lift the anchor. Mount Mayon is majestic in the
evening light, when her white wreath is touched
with the pink of a reflected sunset. The views of
the mountain have been among the chief pleasures
of our visit to Albay. The clouds that float about
the summit and halfway down the flank are con-
stantly changing. Yesterday morning the mountain
was dark purple, and it rose from the water's edge
to the summit distinctly outlined against the sky,
with one fleecy cloud lying halfway up the side in
a little hollow. Last night we saw it in the light
of a full moon.

We are starting for the open sea, where the
waves, in their uninterrupted sweep across the Pa-
cific, break on the eastern shore of Luzon. The
captain is delighted at the prospect, and prefers to
take the longer way around rather than trust to a
native pilot, who offered to show a shorter way
through an uncharted strait.

Manila, May 4, 1901.

WE came into port this morning, and found
Manila hot and dusty. Our house, however,
was cool, and everything was ready for us, even to
iced lemonade. The latter part of the trip after
leaving Legaspi was trying; the weather became

143

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

hotter than it had been, and the daily round of meet-
ings, banquets, often two in one day, and balls were
exhausting to everyone. We went up to Nueva
Caceres, a town of especial interest for me, as I had
vivid memories of Vieja Caceres in Spain, from
whence this little town, far away in the islands of
the sea, takes its name. We went up the river in a
launch, through a country said to be infested with
insurrectos. Several young officers, who had come
down to the Sumner to get us, filled our listening
ears with tales of Filipino treachery, and their ap-
prehensions lest our party be shot at from the river
bank. The launch was what they call " protected " ;
that is, it had a piece of thin iron along the rail on
either side about four feet high. A sense of the
ridiculous prevented me from sitting behind this pro-
tection, and I imagine the rest of the party felt the
same way. I suggested to the infantile second lieu-
tenant that the Filipinos were bad shots, but he
removed even that consolation by telling us that
they put up targets on the opposite river bank and
trained their guns on them. When they heard a
steamer coming they sighted their rifles, and then
all banged away as soon as the vessel came into
range. This dampened my spirits for a time, but as
the hours passed and nothing happened, I recovered,
and concluded the youth was " talking to a civilian,"
as they say.

Three launches of the Federal party, gayly dec-
144

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

orated with flags, came halfway down the river to
meet us. At the landing were arches and banners
bearing mottoes. One of the arches bore the in-
scription : ** Fuera los Frailes " — " Away with the
friars." Fll not weary you with details. The most
vivid recollection of our visit to Nueva Caceres is the
trip down the river by moonlight. We reached the
Sumner at three in the morning just as the full
moon, red as blood, was setting in the sea. It was
a magnificent sight.

Next came Sorsogon, where the wife of the presi-
dente had a fine " best parlor " with twelve blue
satin sofa pillows ranged about the room. They
were precisely alike, and all embroidered in pink
chenille moss roses. The effect was ** grand." In
Sorsogon the natives had something quite original
in the way of street decorations. They built towers
of bamboo, decorated them gorgeously, and placed
them on wheels and pulled them along in a proces-
sion. In one of these edifices stood a young Fil-
ipino girl, who recited a poem in honor of the
** Commission Civil."

Then came the charming little island of Marin-
duque, a paradise, newly pacified. The Commis-
sion had visited it six weeks previously and declined
to give it civil government, as there were a hundred
insurrectos in the field. They have all come in now,
and instead of a squad of soldiers welcoming us on
shore, as was the case before, a band of small natives

145

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

in short gauze shirts were ranged along the road-
way calling out " Good morning," and singing
" America."

Finally, Batangas, our last stopping place, was
reached, and a bad sort of a place it was, too. The
people of this province are apparently irreconcilable.
The night of our arrival the town was fired on, and
the Commission telegraphed to Manila for further
information as to the state of affairs, reporting that
in their opinion Batangas was not ready for civil
government.

And so it came to an end — ^the " Southern Trip,"
as it is called. It was an interesting experience, both
for ,us and for the islanders. I am sure a gjeat
many Filipinos now know something of what the
United States Government intends to do for them,
and are convinced that the Americans, after the
fighting is over, will give them a government in
which they may be active participants. Of course,
the great mass of the people neither know nor care
what is being done. As for us, we shall never for-
get the warm welcome we received everywhere, and
the interesting scenes we visited. It was the event
of a lifetime.

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

MANILA SOCIETY

Manila, May 15, 1901.

CIVILIZATION and the civilized are a bit slow
after the experiences of the past weeks. Not
that we are dull, but there is not the pleasant antici-
pation of waking up in a new place each morning,
and the wild tribes and Moros are certainly more
picturesque than the Europeanized overclad natives
of Manila. However, there are always new experi-
ences even in Manila. There is the usual round of
official and army dinners and receptions; but they
are all more or less alike, so when we received an
invitation from Don Tomas to breakfast with him
last Sunday I accepted with alacrity. I find that I
miss sweet peppers, chile con came, and various
other native dishes I learned to like on the southern
trip. Our American menu lacks " color."

Last Sunday was hot even for Manila, and our
house, open to the breeze as it is, was an ice chest
in comparison with the casa in Santa Cruz. I went
to church in the morning feeling that the spiritual
part of me would need fortifying, but I was obliged

147

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

to listen to a sermon by a zealous young man lately
arrived, who directed his remarks to the Commis-
sion and their policy, accusing them of staying away
from church for political reasons. He warned them
that the very ones they were trying to conciliate by
this action, the Roman Catholics, would turn and
rend them if occasion offered. He drew a touching
picture of the early influences that had surrounded
the members of the Commission and their church-
going habits in America, and lamented that in this
foreign land, where they were trying to build up
American institutions, they had become backsliders
through a sincere but mistaken idea that they were
thereby showing the natives they were unbiased in
religious matters. Although I felt I was the target
of all these remarks, as the only one present even
remotely connected with the offenders, there was
something irresistibly funny in the elaborate scheme
worked up by the estimable young man to explain
the absence of five overworked men from religious
service on hot Sunday mornings, when even the
bamboo did not rustle and the banana leaves
drooped in the scorching air. I felt less conscious
and more cheerful when he turned his attention to
the ladies who spent all their mornings playing
cards and neglected such opportunities for their
benevolent activities as the hospital and the " Manila
Aid " offered. I concluded the heat had got on the
young man's nerves. I, at least, g^ve up but one

148

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

morning a week to cards, and so was not included
in that list.

Don Tomas lives in Santa Cruz, on the other side
of the river, 'crowded and shut in by tall houses.
The pavements were baking hot as we drove to the
breakfast, and waves of hot air quivered up through
the narrow streets. The house was dark, and after
the glare and heat outside comparatively comfort-
able. The affair was what is called in polite society
an obsequio in honor of the doctor and his wife, a
word which always suggests a funeral to my mind.
As the guests thus honored were about to leave us
for an army post in the wilds of Samar, the obsequio
seemed almost sinister in its suggestion. However,
that was my obsession, and the others were happy
to say that the word called up no such suggestions
to their minds. The rooms were already filled with
guests, many of them known to us, and we were
immediately surrounded and embraced by fluttering
gauzy arms. A sprinkling of officers lately in the
service of General Aguinaldo gave a certain interest
to the masculine contingent, but the mild-eyed and
soft-voiced youths who carried the imposing titles
of " General,'' " Colonel," and " Major " seemed
quite shorn of any warlike fierceness they may once
have possessed. Our host presented a basket of
flowers to each of us, and after many greetings we
went out to the dining room which opened on a
little shady patio, where a banana tree sheltered

149

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

some ducks and several lordly turkeys. I sat by
Don Tomas and General Montenegro, who re-
minded me of a Japanese. He mentioned meeting
my sister, whose " intellectual conversation " he had
found most " entrancing."

The breakfast was good, very good. The fish
was a joy to look at and a delight to eat, all gar-
nished with tiny rounds of silver onions and bits of
ginger root, and gay with my favorite pimientos
dukes. The turkey, however, bore off the honors ;
fat as butter, well cooked, of fine flavor, a brother
to the pair under the banana in the patio. On my
remarking its juicy flavor, Don Tomas said it had
been killed by the cook the night before, in a manner
peculiar to himself, by pouring brandy down its
throat until it died. I was glad I had finished the
last delectable bit of breast on my plate before hear-
ing this cuHnary secret. The ice cream was a
gorgeous architectural construction, and the sweets
without number. After administering thus to our
material needs, Don Tomas had prepared a little
musical entertainment, but first we were mercifully
permitted a half-hour siesta on a cool bamboo bed.
The variety in the powder boxes at the disposal of
the ladies always strikes me at Filipino entertain-
ments. Of glass, porcelain, silver or gold, their
number is legion, and the powder market of Paris
must certainly count on the demand in the Philip-
pines. Thickly laid over the dark olive skin of the

150

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

native belle, it gives her complexion a' heliotrope
tint that is weird indeed until one becomes accus-
tomed to it

After the siesta an orchestra of girls with man-
dolins, guitars, and a harp played waltzes and well-
known ragtime airs, picked up from the soldiers.
One pretty little girl was a picturesque figure in a
green skirt with pink camisa and panuela swaying
toward her gilded harp. She sang " Just One Girl "
over and over again in response to repeated encores
from the assembled gentlemen. Her voice was not
so nasal as the native voice usually is; and her ac-
cent lent a charm to the absurd words. At four
o'clock the rooms were cleared and dancing began,
and at half past the hour we departed amidst the
lamentations and remonstrances with which a polite
host always overwhelms the parting guest.

As penance for my attendance on a Sunday dance
I took Auria at dusk to the Augustinians, where
there was a procession. The church was wonder-
fully beautiful, lighted by thousands of candles.
Over the altar was a theatrical arrangement of
clouds, angels' heads, and Santa Rita kneeling in
the center. It was lighted by invisible electric lights,
and looked, as Auria said, like a big valentine. The
statue was dressed with much magnificence in gold-
embroidered velvet. The diamonds were gorgeous,
consisting of a tiara, a necklace, and rings without
number. It was carried in the procession on a solid

151

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

silver standard some five feet in diameter, beauti-
fully dressed with flowers. The figure of the saint
was not well carved, however, and her face was
whitewashed. There were more pretty Spanish
girls and handsome women than one generally sees
gathered together. Padre Izar had arranged that
we should go into the cloisters with the procession,
so when it had almost passed we joined the ranks.
Men, women, and children all carried candles, and
a very nice-looking woman, seeing Auria without
one, handed her a light. This was a great delight
to Auria, who marched along like a little saint her-
self. The sight was fascinating as the procession
wound about the cloisters which surround a big
square patio. The silver stand, twinkling with can-
dles and gay with pink flowers, was borne aloft on
the shoulders of white-robed friars, and behind her
followed the clergy arrayed in golden and brocade
vestments, with musicians and altar boys. It is
astonishing how many beautiful jewels the saints
wear. When we returned home some one was ques-
tioning if they were real, when Auria said reproach-
fully : " You don't think they would put false dia-
monds on their Holy Mary, do you ? "

This has been a very busy week. Three dinners
and two luncheons, besides a dinner we gave on
Friday. All of them were army or civilian aflfairs,
and were more or less stereotyped with the excep-
tion of the one we attended last night — a Filipino

152

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

affair. It was at the house of the father-in-law of
one of the " greatest of Filipino politicians." The
latest excitement in Manila society is this latter gen-
tleman's conversion to the Methodist faith. His
enemies make all manner of fun, and call it a po-
litical move. The religious members of his family,
one of his daughters especially, mourn him as a lost
soul, the others amuse themselves at his expense.
His vivacious little sister-in-law remarked last night
at dinner : " Miguel does not know that the Ameri-
cans neither care nor ask if a man be a Catholic or
Protestant." An insurrecto officer who ordered
eight American soldiers shot in the Apalit district
was at dinner. It has been reported that he is a
monster of cruelty and ferocity. He is a small
meek-looking man, not in the least one's ideal of a
monster, or even a soldier. One of our party said
he seemed feeble-minded, but the doctor's wife
thought he had a ^sinister look. He has been in
Europe, and speaks French and Spanish well, but
talks little. The family of our host have been rather
reticent regarding their relations to the insurrecto
leaders, but I noticed the old grandmother, who
came into the drawing room after dinner, called
him " Pepe," and patted him affectionately on the
back. I imagine they know him better than they are
willing to acknowledge.

153

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

June 12, 1901.

I SPENT Wednesday evening at the Alcaldes, a
family well known in exclusive anti-American
circles, who belong to the irreconcilables. A Span-
ish friend took me there, hoping, as he said, that
they might see the American ladies were " muy sim-
patkas.'* I did my best to be " simpatica," and in-
cidentally had a most amusing evening. The father
of the family is dead ; the mother, a lady of " great
talents," is an artist, and the house is crowded with
specimens of her work. Not only are the walls
hung with oil paintings in gilt frames, but they are
decorated with trailing vines and sylvan scenes.
The mirrors are trellised with dogwood blossoms in
oil. Plush palettes and screens are covered with
roses, and the chair backs and table legs have not
escaped her hand. The lady has a photographic tal-
ent for likenesses, and the paintings in the gilt
frames are all most weirdly lifelike portraits of dif-
ferent members of the family, including several of
herself. Her taste inclines to the primitive colors.
Yellow, red, and blue predominate, and the outlines
of her figures suggest wood carving.

My attempts to be " simpatica " seemed crowned
by success, for later in the evening the lady beckoned
me mysteriously from a doorway and led me to her
inner sanctum, where she showed me works in the
process of making, and a series of early attempts
before she became a verdadera professora, or real

154

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

artist. Besides the artistic mother there were two
musical daughters, one who played the piano and
another who sang. The company embraced, among
others, a melancholy Spaniard stranded in Manila,
a poet with long hair, who recited a canto of an
unpublished epic, and a virtuoso on the violin. My
escort and I were the only ones there who were
without talent. The supper was truly Bohemian,
served on the azotea, or roof, dining room. The
table was covered with a confused mass of bottles,
cold meats, and sweets. We were served by slip-
shod " boys " in short trousers and undershirts, and
unkempt little girls whose low-necked camisa kept
falling off their shoulders, exposing nice round
arms. One can never forget the motion of a Fil-
ipina girl's shoulder as she hitches up her camisa
sleeve. Ham sandwiches and orange marmalade
were served with sweet champagne and pink sugar
cakes. We remained till twelve o'clock, and went
home in a pouring rain. I am assured by the know-
ing ones that I am at last in " real society," but I
could not see they were very different from the rest
of Manila, only a bit whiter perhaps.

July 3, 1901.
T AST evening there was a brilliant reception
^ to the departing commanding general at the
Army and Navy Club. Everyone in town was
there, and many of the ladies were in new gowns.
11 155

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

The newly arrived army women were in evidence,
their up-to-date sleeves and dainty evening fabrics
filling us colonials with envy, but later in the even-
ing I had reason to be glad that I had worn an an-
cient jusi. The floors had recently been cleaned with
kerosene oil, but enough had been left in the cracks
and hollows of the floor to ruin fresh ruffles and
dainty silk petticoats. There were crowds of army
officers and a sprinkling of civilians, and more gen-
erals than one often sees gathered in one place. One
of the finest-looking officers is the head of the signal
corps, a big man with gray hair and beard and fine
eyes. He is a contrast in size to the little general
who captured Aguinaldo. The popular brigadier
who came out to the Philippines a first lieutenant in
the regular army, and is sure to get his volunteer-
general's appointment confirmed, was there, besides
many others less well known.

The supper was a brilliant achievement in this
land of tinned lobster. It was under the manage-
ment of the quartermaster's department. We sat in
the seats of the mighty with generals and major
generals. The departing military governor has a
neat little talent for sarcasm. One of our party, a
lady of gracious manner, exclaimed, as we were
leaving the table : " Well, general, so you are really
going away. I can't tell you how sorry we are. It
is a shame for you to leave us." The general bowed
low, and then said quite slowly and distinctly, so that

156

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

all at the table heard him : " Thank you, madam, it
is always flattering to hear such things, even when
they are said for politeness only, but when one
knows that they come from the heart it is doubly
pleasant." That was not so bad, considering the
general's well-known feeling toward the Commis-
sion.

July 4, 1901-

JUDGE TAFT was inaugurated Civil Governor
of the Philippine Islands to-day. The ceremony
took place in the morning on the plaza facing the
Ayuntamiento. A platform had been erected on the
massive stone foundations of the " New Palace,"
which have been laid many years. I have been told
that the money for the erection of this building was
voted and paid by the Spanish Government, but that
it was appropriated by the officials in charge of the
work, and that in Madrid in the archives one may
see a picture of the finished building and a descrip-
tion of it representing it as completed. The build-
ing, however, was never erected except on paper.
The plaza is a cool, green square, with a fountain
and large trees. On one side stands the cathedral ;
opposite it is a row of Spanish houses. On the
third side is the Ayuntamiento, or City Hall.

The participants in the day's ceremonies gathered
in the Ayuntamiento. On the platform three hun-
dred seats were reserved for those whose position

157

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

in the government and in the army and navy entitled
them and their families to places. There was no end
of trouble over these reserved seats. No sooner was
I seated than all around me I heard complaints:
" Well, how did she ever get a ticket, when poor

Mrs. had to stay at home because she would

not stand on the street like a native ? " "I should
think those civil-government people would know
better ! " " Well, what can you expect from
civilians?" And from another quarter: "One
would know the army had managed this affair."
" Will you look at all those second lieutenants'
wives in the front row, and Mrs. Blank, whose hus-
band is head of the Bureau, down there in the

sun ! " The first row of seats near the grand stand
was reserved for the families of the governor, the
commanding general, the Commissioners, and in-
vited guests. The seats were not numbered, and
many of those entitled to seats had brought guests,
and others had taken possession of them without
title, so when I arrived the front row was well filled,
and neither the families of the new commanding
general nor the governor had arrived.

I found a place in the second row, where I was
surrounded by small children and the second lieu-
tenants' wives so scornfully referred to by a " civil-
ian lady." The arrival of another officiars wife,
who did not wish a back seat, made a readjustment
of chairs necessary, and a row was placed in front

158

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

of the first row. This was again almost immedi-
ately filled by those who belonged there and several
who did not. I declined to change my seat to the
front row, as I was quite comfortable and out of
the sun, but there was a good half hour passed in
getting the right persons in their proper places. No
one seemed to realize that the wife of the principal
figure in the day's ceremonies would, on her arrival,
be obliged to sit on the railing or take a back seat.
When she finally arrived, there was another scurry
for seats by the long-suffering officers acting as ush-
ers, and it was a miracle how two more chairs were
squeezed in at the top of the first row. I felt that
the civilians might truly say that the army should
have arranged things a little better, for they were
in charge of the ceremonies, and are supposed to
understand that bugbear " rank." At the same time
it was partly the fault of the women, who wanted
to sit in the front row whether they belonged there
or not. A democratic society when the idea of
rank and precedence first dawns upon it is likely to
run into all manner of pitfalls, for very seldom do
all its members remember their proper places all the
time. Rank not being part of their inheritance, their
native Americanism causes them to forget it at
times when they ought to remember it, and to re-
member it when it would be just as well to ignore
it. Those who occupy the lesser positions are, as a
rule, the most sensitive on the subject.

159

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

By the time the ladies were all settled the prcw:es-
sion had started from the Ayuntamiento across the
way, heralded by a blast of trumpets. The plaza
was crowded with Filipinos and American soldiers,
who, I noticed, seemed more enthusiastic over the
inauguration of the civil governor than the officers.
Across the broad central path of the plaza the pro-
cession passed, the Americans in white duck suits,
the Filipinos and Europeans in black. It was cer-
tainly a sight to remember. First came the " diplo-
matic corps," as some one called them, in array
more or less gorgeous, as business had been dull or
lively during the year, for the " diplomatic corps "
consists principally of merchants of Manila acting
as consuls or agents of foreign governments, very
few of them being natives of the country they repre-
sent. The consul for Spain, however, is a Spaniard,
and he headed the corps in a uniform gorgeous with
brass buttons and gold lace. He had a proud and
haughty air. Behind him came the German consul
in a duck suit not quite immaculate, belted in so
tightly that he recalled the traditional pillow with
a string tied about the middle, but on his broad
breast glittered seven medals, and a black cocked
hat made him almost as imposing a figure as the
Spanish consul. The representatives of countries
less conspicuous wore everyday clothes, but the Chi-
nese consul, in bell hat and button and yellow silk
robe, lent a picturesque note to the corps, while the

i6o

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

French consul was in full evening dress. There
seemed little esprit de corps among them. They did
not pretend to march two by two, or even in single
file, but flocked along anyhow after the Spanish con-
sul. The second division of the procession con-
sisted of the representatives of justice in the Philip-
pines, and was headed by the chief justice of the
Islands, who was appropriately dressed in a robe.
As for the judges, they wore the traditional black
frock coat of the variety one recognizes as oriental,
with a collection of tall hats, including the opera
style, I have not seen equaled since I left Japan.

Then hearty cheers arose from the crowds around
the plaza, from Americans and Filipinos alike. The
contrast between the Americans and foreigners was
especially marked by their simple dress and their
martial bearing. First came General McArthur
with Judge Taft, followed by General Chaffee. Be-
hind them, two by two, the four civil Commission-
ers, and then a long line of colonels and majors com-
prising all the staff officers in Manila. It was a fine
sight. They were all tall and straight, keeping time
and marching in a straight line. The white duck
uniform with brass buttons is becoming to. most
men. General McArthur introduced Judge Taft
without any special ceremony. Judge Arellano ad-
ministered the oath of office, and then Governor
Taft made his inaugural address. It was to the
point, and not too long.

i6i

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

The procession returned to the Ayuntamiento
after the inauguration, where they entered carriages
and escorted General McArthur to the office of the
captain of the port, where he embarked in a launch
for the transport. EI Senor drove with Judge Ide
in his carriage, but Lorenzo and Luis had not spent
half the night polishing our carriage and harness
for nothing, so when they saw el Seiior enter Judge
Ide's carriage, instead of waiting for us, they
whirled into line, and so were not cheated out of
the glory of being in the procession. Fraulein, in
her quaint German way, remarked that the empty
victoria looked "noble." We remained at the
Ayuntamiento till the company returned, and then
went into the big reception hall to shake hands with,
and congratulate, the governor and the new com-
manding general.

Governor Taft is now the highest official in the
Philippine Islands, and takes ^precedence of the mil-
itary authorities. The governor will move at once
into the Malacafian, the residence of the Spanish
governor general, where General McArthur has
been living. It is a tumble-down moldy old place,
and must soon be put in order to keep it standing.
Its name of palace is rather farfetched. The com-
manding general will occupy the Taft house.

162

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

July 15, 1901.

SATURDAY evening one of our friends, a young
civil employee, was married to a mestiza, a
pretty girl with a mother, half-a-dozen sisters, and
two aunts, all impecunious. " Poor Mr. Hunt ! "
we all say, but he is happy, so why should we pity
him? According to one of his chums, who has
boarded in the same house with Mr. Hunt, the court-
ing has not been unalloyed bliss, for the family has
never allowed him to see the girl alone. Even when
they go out walking the two aunts have always ac-
companied them, and generally several of the small
sisters, making quite a procession led by Hunt and
his fiancee. The friend is something of a tease, and
he delighted in timing his promenades to meet
Hunt, his betrothed, and the aunts and small sisters,
and then demanding later what religious procession
Hunt had been leading through the streets of
Manila.

Auria and I were invited to the ceremony. We
reached the big Dominican church at the appointed
time, but instead of a bright interior it was quite
unilluminated, only half-a-dozen candles glimmering
faintly from the altar through the dusky aisles.
Every time I enter a Catholic church in Manila I
am impressed with its beauty. The proportions are
fine. The decorations are not gaudy, and there is a
certain religious atmosphere that is lacking in many
of the European and almost all our own Catholic

163

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

churches. We waited a long time, surmising all
sorts of accidents to the bridal party. Small brown
choir boys ran about constantly, reminding one of
acrobats as they doubled themselves up like jack-
knives, never pausing in their trot, each time they
passed the altar. Quite an hour after the time set
for the ceremony, the bride and groom, followed by
the family, aunts, small sisters, and half-a-dozen
'friends, stumbled into the darkness, and groped
their way across the church to the sacristy, where
they were to be married, on account of some taint of
heresy on the part of Hunt, I suppose, although he
became a Catholic last week, according to his scoff-
ing friend. We followed the procession into the
dark sacristy. There was a hurry and a scurry of
small boys to light the candles, and it was ten min-
utes before everything was ready. Hunt was nerv-
ous, and wiped his perspiring brow continually, for
it was a hot evening, and the darkness, delay, and
confusion were anything but soothing. It is re-
ported that he had to pay for the candles, although
they were not lighted when they should have been,
and that the unburned ends are a perquisite of some
one of the various church officials ; hence the delay
in lighting them.

At last the signal to begin the ceremony was
given. A wheel of bells was violently whirled
around by a small boy, a weak organ piped forth a
monotonous march, and a wreath of electric lights

164

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

around the altar was turned on ; and then the blue
silk curtain before the altar was drawn, displaying
painted statues of the Virgin and St. John hand-
somely dressed in velvet, surrounded by a halo of
angels' heads peeping over silver clouds. Three
priests marched in from an adjoining room, and the
bride and groom, accompanied by the family, went
within the railing. The ceremony was performed
at a tremendous rate of speed by a mumbling priest.
A piece of money, which Hunt had forgotten, played
a mysterious part in the ceremony. A small boy
was sent to fetch it, which caused a most embar-
rassing delay. I asked the meaning of the money,
but no one could tell me its significance. It was
handed to the officiating priest, who blessed it and
passed it to his assistant, and we were left to guess
if it were the wedding fee demanded at a point in
the ceremony where Hunt must produce it or not be
married — ^this was the suggestion of the scoffing
friend — or if it were the symbol of earthly goods
with which Hunt was to endow the bride, her aunts,
and small sisters. That it might be a survival of
the time when grooms bought their brides with gold
was the suggestion of our learned secretary.

The bride did not remove her veil after the cere-
mony, and was kissed through the lace. We con-
gratulated the groom, who looked unhappy, as all
men do on such occasions, " but not as unhappy as
he will feel later," remarked his best man.

165

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

July 30, 1 90 1.

WE have been occupied making calls on the new-
comers during the last week. It is interesting
to renew one's first impressions with the recent ar-
rivals. Among the passing crowd were two " lit-
erary lights " on their way around the world — a
writer and his wife, the latter a lecturer, I believe.
One of the Commissioners tells me some remarkable
tales about them. They have made it unpleasant for
him by insisting that he shall give them a series
of his photographs to illustrate their lectures. They
did not take one or two refusals, and succeeded
eventually by their persistence in forcing him to
give them a number. We met these celebrities at
dinner. They belonged to the " eager-anxious-to-
be-in-everything " type, whose existence one has
forgotten in the placid Philippines.

At a large reception Fraulein was amused to hear
them asking for introductions " to all the noted per-
sons present." As there are eight generals in town
this week, they succeeded in adding numberless
names to their autograph collection. The way in
which " famous names " were obtained at the recep-
tion lessened the impression they had made on me
at the dinner, when the lady proudly displayed the
signatures of " distinguished persons she had
known.'' Isn't it strange how some persons amuse
themselves ? /

166

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Manila, August i, 1901.

YESTERDAY the governor gave his third re-
ception at the Malacanan. The living room is
surrounded by a broad-tiled veranda, which forms
one of the features — in fact, I should say the feature
— of the " palace/' It is always cool, and there are
exquisite views up and down the river. Guests be-
gin to arrive about half-past five. I poured tea
yesterday afternoon, and I enjoyed watching the
various persons who called. It is a very well-
dressed crowd, but with no uniformity in the style
of its costumes. One of the first to come yesterday
was Senor Legarda, who has been appointed a mem-
ber of the Commission. He brought with him his
daughter-in-law, who has just returned from Paris.
She wore an exquisite black brocade gown embroid-
ered in jet, and a hat that one had only to see to
know where it was made. Her husband, whom
Senor Legarda referred to as " fat, isn't he ? '' needs
no further characterization, for that was all there was
to say. Behind this family group came several Amer-
ican ladies in organdies and muslins, followed by a
Spanish mestiza dressed in a thick brown cashmere
gown with a silk front, looking perfectly cool and
serene. A crowd of girls in low-necked jusis,
dressed for the Fifth Cavalry ball, attracted one. It
is quite the thing to come to an afternoon reception
in a low-necked dress; even women of advanced
age wear them. Yesterday the Filipinos were out

167

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

in large numbers. The Garcia girls were in evi-
dence as usual. Their little thin hands flutter in
yours for an instant, you see their clear soft eyes,
and then wonder why they should have such bad
teeth and mouths. Their father is one of the most
eminent Filipinos in Manila. He has a fine head,
and a genius for talking Spanish to foreigners who
cannot speak more than a few words of that lan-
guage. It sounds as if there were an animated con-
versation going on, yet he does all the talking. His
daughters dress in mestiza costume, and are pic-
turesque bits of color in the room. There was an
ex-general of insurgents, whom the army more than
suspects of murdering prisoners, but can't prove it,
and little Seiior Manuel from Iloilo, ladylike and
gentle, with his coquettish seiiora, who bestowed
the purple and black jusis on us during the southern
trip as " suitable to our ages."

The large room was quite full by half-past six,
when the governor appeared. Everyone turned
when he came in, and everyone was eager to speak
with him. It is not because he is governor, either,
but because everyone likes him, and believes in his
sincerity and ability. General Chaffee was a notable
figure. I think no one can help feeling he is a
strong, brave man. The Commissioners rally every
Wednesday to the governor's reception. The Amer-
ican newspapers are talking of him for President
of the United States. I only wish our country

i68

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

might be fortunate enough to have such a man for
president.

We had a dinner party last week, and as I have
told you of so many that went off well, I must
record of this that the pigeons were served alone.
The fried plantains that were to go with them were
forgotten. In order to have something with them
I told Lai Ting to serve some plum jam. He
promptly appeared with it in a tin can which the cook
had chopped open with a hatchet. We were enter-
taining Major Allen from Leyte, who took us
through the Straits of Samar last spring.

August 15, 1 90 1.

YOU ask me continually about the political situa-
tion, quoting articles from the Evening Post,
which seem to give you melancholy forebodings lest
the government be going to pieces. Civil govern-
ment is flourishing in almost all the places where it
was " planted " last spring, although some of the
recommendations were, perhaps, premature. Batan-
gas was evidently not ready for it, and it has been
taken away from Bohol also. The most difficult
problem at present is the organizing of the courts,
and putting the new code in force. Everyone is out
for himself among the native politicians, and the
office seeker is as omnipresent here as at home.
There have been several squalls in the sky, and every
once in a while the Federal party gets sulky. Some

169

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

of the new American judges are rather young, and
others are decidedly old.

Some persons appear to be alarmed at the way the
teachers are marrying. Half a dozen have already
entered the matrimonial state. Still, as el Seiior
says, this will make it all the easier to get others.

The military sentry at our gate has been replaced
by the new municipal police. The municipal police
is a fine lot of men. They are tall and well set up.
Their uniform is khaki with leather leggings, and
tourists and other travelers say there is no other
city in the world where there is so striking a police
corps. They were carefully selected from the vol-
unteer regiments about to be returned to the United
States, and many of them were non-commissioned
officers.

August 25, 1901.

YESTERDAY we went to Cavite for lunch, or
rather, as it turned out, a banquete. It was
rough going over, and we did not enjoy it. The
town does not amount to much, but the naval station
is interesting.

We were the guests of a wealthy Chinese who is
married to a Filipina. It is noteworthy that the
children of all these Chino-Filipina marriages are
educated as — dress like and become — Filipinos. The
affair was elaborate, the house large, and filled with
expensive imported furniture.

170

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

The most delightful part of the day was the re-
turn toward sunset. The western sky was gorgeous.
The colors were vi^id and strong, and the sky was
as brilliant in the east as in the west. We saw the
wrecks of the Spanish cruisers sunk by Dewey.
They gave a melancholy tone to the scene. We
took the band on our launch, and they played some
soft, rather sad, native music. The drives along the
Luneta at sunset and the launch rides on the bay
are among the most delightful experiences of our
life in Manila.

August 30, 1 90 1.

YESTERDAY we returned from a three-days'
fiesta in the country, worn out as usual, our
digestion upset, but having been both amused and
enlightened by the experience. I have come to one
conclusion regarding fiestas. If the loyalty of Fil-
ipinos is to be fostered at the expense of my
stomach, I shall give up the fight. The terrible
bugbear of hurting a Filipino's feelings by not eat-
ing all the deadly dishes pressed upon one has held
its sway too long already, so last week I gently and
firmly declined to eat more than twice as much of
every course as I wanted. In consequence, I am
not quite so thoroughly exhausted as I usually am
in returning from one of these outings. We left
Manila on the seven o'clock train in the new Ameri-
can cars recently sent out here from California.
13 171

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

They seem wonderfully luxurious to us as well as
to the natives. The new third-class cars are su-
perior to the old first-class cars, and the new first
class, with polished California woods and stenciled
decorations, are crowded with gaping natives at
every station, who pass through them to look and
admire. We had not been up the railroad since last
year, and the improvement in the country was
noticeable. The tents of the soldiers guarding the
railway bridges and stations had disappeared.
There was land under cultivation where last year
the fields were deserted. New bamboo houses had
been built near all the stations, and few soldiers were
in evidence. The little native policeman strutted
up and down the platform at every station, alive to
his importance in the eyes of his fellow countrymen.
We were met by the daughters of our entertainers
in a fine new rubber-tired carriage, and we fairly
flew over the new road to the little town, which lay
some distance from the railway. The house of our
host was spacious, and elegant in its simplicity. Af-
ter greetings had been exchanged we were led to
our room, a large front chamber with a big window
overhanging the principal street. I mention this
window as it is connected vividly in my mind with
our visit. The room contained three handsomely
carved four-poster Filipino beds, each covered with
a mat. A pillow was the only other article on it.
Two chairs and a washstand comprised the rest of

172

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

the furniture. On the washstand stood a most
gorgeous toilet set. It consisted of pitcher and
basin, countless bottles, soap dishes and powder
boxes, all of pink glass, fluted around the edges, and
heavily decorated in gilt. The basin held about a
pint of water, and the only place to empty it after
washing was out of the front window. How many
times I leaned out with that fragile pink glass basin,
fearful lest I might let it fall, and more fearful of
deluging a passer-by, cannot be counted. After
each of the party had bathed her hands and face,
and I had safely emptied the precious pink basin
three or four times, we went to the drawing room.
The house was filled with guests, many of them old
friends from Manila. And we were at once plunged
into the interminable formalities of greeting. To
each and everyone I was obliged to recount the story
of Elena's departure, to give an account of the
health of all my relatives, and in turn remember to
ask after each member of the various families and
all their relations. Then we sat down to dinner,
spread on a mahogany table that would fill a col-
lector of antique furniture with envy. I pass over
the dinner in silence. Afterwards I accompanied
our host to see his wife, who had a new baby only
a couple of days old.

In this country, just as one is bored to death by
too much dinner, too much Spanish, and too much
Filipino, something so unique, so interesting, and so

173

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

picturesque turns up that everything else is forgot-
ten in its enjoyment. We went downstairs and
softly opened the door of a small darkened room,
almost bare of furniture. Half-a-dozen old shriv-
eled women sat around on the floor; one was pre-
paring food over an earthen brazier of glowing
coals. The babe lay on a mat wrapped in swaddling
clothes, and just behind him knelt his mother. She
wore a loose white chemise and blue skirt, her long
black hair fell about her shoulders, and she looked
at us with large mild eyes, a little startled at our
sudden appearance. It was the Christ Child in the
manger, as one sees it in faded old Italian frescoes,
and during my visit I haunted that darkened white-
washed chamber, always received with gentle
friendliness by the mother and her ancient hand-
maidens.

Our host is progressive, and the other children
wear European dress that makes one long to see.
them running about in their pretty brown skins. On
my return to the drawing room I found the ball had
begun, and, although it was but five o'clock in the
afternoon, everyone was dancing. There were a
number of newly arrived guests presented, among
them American officers from a neighboring post.
With one of these officers — I was assured later by
his " brother officers " that he was " one of those
civilian appointees " — I had a most extraordinary
experience. He had arrived late, and had partaken

174

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

freely of the different refreshments a Filipino host
has learned to provide for his American guests, so,
when he was brought up later in the evening and
presented to me in proper Filipino style, his ears
conveyed to his brain only the words " Civil Com-
mission." " The lady of the Civil Commission " is
the form the Filipinos always use in introducing me.
The captain, for such was his rank, hearing these
words, gazed meditatively beyond me, and repeated :
" Civil Commission ! Civil Commission ! I'd like
to pitch Civil Commission into Manila Bay ! " And
then he smiled benevolently on me, and was begin-
ning to repeat his wish when he was forcibly retired
from the room by his brother officers, repeating:
** Pitch-Civil-Commission-into-Manila-Bay!" It was
irresistibly funny, but at the same time it was pain-
ful, for the Filipinos were horrified, expecting
I should feel insulted, and would include them in
my displeasure. My host implored me to command
him to put the offender out of the house, protesting
he would willingly do it, no matter at what cost to
himself. The Filipinos stand in the same awe of
our officers that they did of the Spanish officials,
and permit almost any rudeness to pass unchal-
lenged, because they have not yet learned the Amer-
ican point of view. Everyone knows how univeifsal
is the belief that the civil and military authorities
in the Islands are not friendly to each other. This
is the first time I have ever encountered any expres-

175

Digitized by

Googk

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

sion of that alleged feeling, and it is only due to the
captain to say that later he made ample amends.
About midnight he returned to the ball room look-
ing weak and chastened, his hair suspiciously
smooth and damp, suggestive of a recent douche
under the pump. His brother officers tried their
best to keep him out of my way, but he was deter-
mined like --a man to say he was sorry. So, in a
pause of the dance, he came up and, planting him-
self in front of me, said quite gently : " I love Civil
Commission; want them to spend a week; I will
not pitch Civil Commission into Manila Bay." He
then sat down in an armchair, where, conscious of
an offense condoned, he peacefully slept during the
remainder of the ball. Of course, the other men
were overwhelming in their apologies, and excused
the man on the ground that he came in late from a
long ride and did not know how strong Don An-
tonio's whisky was.

After the midnight banquet dancing was re-
sumed. At two o'clock I went to bed. The other
guests danced till dawn in Filipino fashion. I must
record that there were many pretty girls in unusu-
ally pretty dresses. Dona Maria wore a flame-col-
ored camisa and panuela, embroidered in white mar-
guerites. The flowers were shaded with gold thread,
and there were four tiny pearls in their centers.
The blue silk skirt was shot with zigzags of white.
Every girl wore either a pearl or diamond necklace.

176

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Sunday was a laborious day. Dancing began at
ten o'clock in the morning. At twelve we sat down
to a long dinner. One of the dishes was a young
pig served with a delicious green sauce. It was
roasted out of doors, over a bed of coals ; a bamboo
pole thrust lengthwise through its body served as a
spit. It was turned by a relay of small naked boys.
The old women basted it continually, and kept law
and order among the lazy little Filipinos with the
basting spoon. The mahogany table seated thirty
guests. At each place were three handsome French
plates with a crest in the center. In front of each
cover was a solid silver tray holding three delicate
wineglasses. The center piece was a large bust of
a Roman matron in frosted glass supporting a pyra-
mid of fruit on her head, and amidst the array of
sweets were two immense vases holding bouquets of
silver and gold leaves and flowers. In spite of the
Roman matron and the glass vases, the table was
handsome.

I passed another long evening watching tne
ceaseless whirl of dancers, whose heelless slippers
never seemed to tire of gliding over the shining
floor. Some of the guests did not go to bed at all,
and were eating sweet cakes when we came into the
dining room at dawn, ready for our early train.
One can entertain numberless guests in the Philip-
pines. A supply of clean straw mats, and as many
rolls of cotton covered with turkey-red calico, is all

177

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

that a hostess needs. These are spread on the floor
in the hall or drawing room, and the guests are per-
fectly comfortable.

September 4, 1901.

1AST night we went to a teachers' banquet.
-^ There was a large number present, and they
had a good time, I think. There was one amusing
event. An invited guest, one of the judges from
the interior, made a speech in which he spoke of the
failure of justice through the unreliability of wit-
nesses, and of the oppression of the poor natives by
the presidentes, the heads of villages. He suggested
that it might be a good plan to change the name
presidente, which had become associated with op-
pression, and substitute some other, which would
cause the people to inquire into the powers of the
new office. In this way he thought they would dis-
cover that presidentes could no longer make them
perform forced labor or pay unjust taxes. Of
course, this was not actually g^ven as a suggestion to
the Commission, and the judge apologized for men-
tioning it, but it aroused the ire of the toastmaster,
a member of the Commission, who arose and in his
most metallic tones said he wished he might believe
that the simple remedy offered by the judge would
make honest men of the corrupt class known as
presidentes. Then he gave at great length a history
of the office of presidente, showing it to be a name

178

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

of quite recent date, and selected by the people in
place of the old Spanish names, gobernadorcillo and
alcalde, for just the reason that it was suggestive of
free institutions. It was all true, and quite interest-
ing, but the poor judge, thus convicted, not only of
giving advice not asked for to the great U. S. Phil-
ippine Commission, but also proved ignorant of
what he was talking about before twenty-five or
thirty school teachers and junior graduates of a
university where he had been a professor, looked
crushed, and a little indignant, I thought.

When one thinks about this great educational im-
migration, it certainly appeals to the imagination,
but when he is brought into close contact with six
hundred of all sorts and conditions of teachers, both
male and female, he has the truth forced upon him
that the few must leaven the lump. Their spirit is
good, and they consider their coming to the Islands
in the light of a crusade. It is amusing to hear
them talk about " our unique position in the history
of the world.'' It reminded me of Kipling's com-
ments on the American's character, and his belief
that everything American was the biggest, best, and
most remarkable " in the world." Ever since the
teachers landed, people have been telling them that
the future of the Islands depends upon them; that
they will do more than all our armies have done.
This is true, and it must inspire them, but it also
puffs them up to a certain degree, and they already

179

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

assume the airs of the conquerors. In a day or two
they will all be gone into the provinces, and Manila
will see the soldier straps emerge again from the
obscurity into which six hundred civilians have cast
them. The undertaking, not in the least simple, of
collecting, transporting, and maintaining over six
hundred men, women, and children, and finally as-
signing and sending them to various parts of the
Islands, is fortunately successfully ended.

Monday the three new Filipino Commissioners
were introduced, and took the oath of office. The
secretaries were also sworn in. I send you an ac-
count of the ceremony. El Senor forgot to tell me
about it, so I did not see it. I was sorry, for they
say it was interesting. The Filipino gentlemen who
were appointed Commissioners, and their friends,
are naturally delighted to have a share in the gov-
ernment. Both the Manila representatives know
English well enough to understand all that is said,
and do not hinder business. The member from
NegTos does not speak or understand a word. The
promoter of the peace fiesta last year has succeeded
in founding a new party, which puts forth neither
more nor less than the old insurrecto platform. He
and a Filipino editor are the mischief makers, and
both because they want preferment, and hope by
annoying the administration to get office. Other-
wise, everything is serene, in spite of all the papers
may say.

i8o

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

VII

A WINTER IN MANILA

Manila, November 20, 1901.

RETURNING from a journey of two months in
China, I found my worst fears realized on the
trip from Hongkong. The monsoon was blowing
with unusual force, and from the time'we left Hong-
kong harbor until we reached the shelter of the
Mariveles point we were tossed and battered about
in a most disagreeable fashion. The waves banged
themselves viciously against the steamer, but the
Chang Cha was stanch. All day and all night the
dishes, pots and pans, and all the movable cargo
crashed back and forth, adding to the din of dashing
waves and splashing water. We all stayed miser-
ably in bed, waiting in dull despair for the two
nights and the day to pass.

Finally, we reached the coast of Corregidor,
where the government tug was to meet us, and
where the Chang Cha*s owners had agreed to take
us, Manila not being a port of call on their trip. It
was accommodating in them, for they went about
ninety miles out of their course. At dawn the cap-

181

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

tain sighted the big sea-going government tug, and
at eight o'clock we, our boys, and all our belongings
were on board, and we were waving good-by to the
captain, who had expressed his opinion to me quite
freely about the oppressive red tape of the American
customs and harbor regulations. He considered
Manila under the Americans the worst port of the
Japan- Australian run ; and he lamented the ancient
Spanish regime, when twenty pesos pressed into the
hands of the customs and harbor officials would
leave him free and unmolested to land his goods in
his own way. Now he. has many papers to make
out which must be signed and countersigned, and
he is obliged to go on shore in person and drive
about in the heat in " beastly dirty, broken-down
rigs " to present papers to the authorities. So he
avoids Manila whenever he can, and prejudices
other skippers. He affirms that all the lines will
boycott the port of Manila. I tried to argue faintly
in favor of Anglo-Saxon probity, but he said one
soon got over that nonsense in the East.

On board the tug was quite an army of secre-
taries and .clerks, who looked rather hollow-eyed,
as they had been cruising about all night waiting for
the Chang Cha. The news of the governor's im-
proved health relieved our anxiety, and we enjoyed
the sail up the bay. I confess to a thrill of home-
coming as the low, white level line of the shore
flashed out from the blue background of the hills and

182

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

sky. Luis met me with the new quilez, and I was
soon at home refreshing myself with soda and lemon-
ade, exclaiming over Auria, who had gained an inch
in height, and listening to her enthusiastic account
of the new municipal school, where she has been
placed with all the " Commission children," as she
calls them. Fraulein is spending the morning hours,
while Auria is in school, teaching small Filipinos
English. She is successful in her work, and im-
parts a good English accent to her pupils. Not only
the " Commission children " and the army children
attend the school, but any Filipina or Filipino who
can speak English well enough to understand his
work may enter, and already a large number attend.
Auria tells me that last week the Filipino boys beat
the Americans at football, a game the latter taught
them quite recently. The session begins at eight
and ends at twelve o'clock, and tag and prisoner's
base are the favorite recess games; but they seem
not exactly suited to a tropical climate. At first the
exclusive Spanish and mestizo families were not in-
clined to send their children, especially the girls, but
lately' el Senor has had many encouraging talks with
the fathers of children who have always attended
the conyent schools, but who are now going to the
municipal school. The fact that Governor Taft
sends his children has naturally placed the public-
school question in a new light. The teachers are
selected with care, and tlie standard is excellent. As

183

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

for the native children, Fraulein says they are docile,
quick, and obedient. Other teachers of experience
in the United States say they are far easier to teach
than American children, for they do not " get on
their nerves," as American children do.

Auria has become quite intimate with two polite
little girls who live near us in a fine house. Their
father is progressive, and has this year enlarged his
business along the line of the American department
store. He calls it the Twentieth Century. The
family is wealthy, and Auria is enthusiastic over the
wonderful French toys the children have. Filipinos
are extravagant in many ways from our point of
view. They buy all sorts of mechanical toys, talk-
ing dolls, and wonderful little houses completely
furnished. Already all the shops in the Escolta are
beginning their holiday display, and one could spend
a small fortune in Parisian novelties. I notice, too,
the American woman has created a demand for hats.
The best houses are showing glass cases full of the
latest creations from Paris. They are, however, de-
cidedly gay: pink, blue, and red predominate. I
have seen only one really pretty hat. I am sorry
we are introducing the hat ; it is healthier and more
comfortable without it.

184

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Manila, November 26, 1901.
/^UR interest in these days is absorbed in house
^^ hunting. You can't imagine the discourage-
ment I feel, for it seems as if the comforts of this
place are magnified and its drawbacks diminish now
we find we must leave it. All our friends are on the
alert, and we daily receive messages suggesting this
house or that one, only to find on investigation that
it is impossible. I also notice that rents go up most
alarmingly when it is known that a Commissioner
wishes to rent the house. One place was offered us
by a friend who had been repairing it, and who
described it as palatial. You should have seen the
frescoes! American flags and eagles were spread
all over the ceilings, and the most impossible colors
were on the walls. There was not an inch of ground
back or front, and only three bedrooms, no dining
room — one ate in the hall — and the price was
one hundred and fifty gold a month. The only
house we can consider is the Lawton house, now
held by the military authorities. It has been the
headquarters of a general officer, but owing to
some new arrangement of the commands he is
moving out and we are putting in a claim for the
place.

The owners are in Paris, and have not received
any rent for the house since it transpired that they
are insurrectos. One of our friends, a Filipino, is
making inquiries. It seems as if the owners ought

185

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

to have rent now, as civil government is established
and the insurrecto family out of the country,

Manila, December i, 1901.

IT is all arranged; we are to have the Lawton
house. The commanding general waived his claim,
thereby bitterly disappointing several members of the
medical staff, who with their wives were anticipat-
ing big airy quarters. It must be maddening to be
ranked out of houses, as officers are in the army,
but they are certainly very good-natured about it.

The house was beautiful, but it is so out of re-
pair that it will take months of work to put it in
order. The owners are jubilant to get the army out
and civilians in, but we must do the repairing. The
house interior must be reclothed and papered, tinted
and painted, partitions taken down, plumbing over-
hauled, and the whole house rewired in accordance
with the new regulations. At present the interior is
gloomy and ugly. There are imitation Corinthian
marble columns in the drawing room, which is cov-
ered with tattered gray paper. The ceiling cloth is
torn, and hangs down in many places. Trellises
with cupids peeking through them, and ladies and
gentlemen promenading, adorn it. There are fine
mahogany floors, and the proportions of the rooms
are good. I know when we have cool, soft tints
on the walls and plain ceilings, when the forty carved
chairs and six sofas in the drawing room are cleaned

186

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

and repolished, and the eleven mirrors regilded, it
will be quite splendid. There are some fine pieces
of furniture scattered over the house, but it all
needs repolishing and repairing. The butler's pan-
try is a room about thirty feet square, with a cistern
under the floor twenty feet deep. All the rain water
rushes into it. There is a big tiled bath downstairs
supplied with water from the roof when it rains.
At other times it is filled from a faucet. The house
faces Calle Concepcion, and the back of the house
is on the river. The great drawback is a rice ware-
house on one side three stories high. The blank
wall of the galvanized iron reflects the tropical heat
directly into the bedrooms. However, we are
thankful to get so good a house, but it will not be
as cool as this house, and possibly not so healthy.

Governor Taft is still at the hospital, and, in
spite of his dangerous illness and two operations,
maintains his usual cheerful frame of mind. When-
ever I go to see him, and tell him the more amusing
incidents of our China trip, he laughs till the bed
shakes. In spite of the fact that he is still seriously
ill, he keeps in touch with all public business, and
discusses and decides questions as if he were per-
fectly well. It has been decided he shall go to
America at the end of this month to recuperate. I
think Mrs. Taft needs the change as much as he
does. She is very debilitated, and has worked as
hard in her way as the governor in his. It is no
13 187

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

easy task to entertain on the scale they do in this
climate, with inefficient servants, and the harassing
question of getting something new to eat in a place
where tinned milk and canned goods form one's
chief supply for dinner parties. I think she shows
remarkable ability, but her weekly receptions must
seriously tax her strength. The Filipinos adore
Governor Taft, and the first question in every gath-
ering is to inquire as to his health. They know he
likes them, and that is the secret of his popularity.

Manila, December 15, 1901.

YESTERDAY we went up to Malolos with half-
a-dozen Americans on the invitation of Sefior
Rojas, who is one of the best Filipino judges in the
Islands. The picnic was an all-day affair, with
much eating and dancing.

The weather is delightful at this season. Decem-
ber is perfection, and I would be willing to live
here all my life if every month were December.
We went up on the morning train accompanied by
several Filipino guests. Among the others was Dr.
Tavena, who had not been in Malolos since the
meeting of the famous congress, of which he was a
prominent member. He told us in his dramatic,
nervous way of the night he fled to Manila because
he was no longer in accord with Aguinaldo and his
plans. Our Pampangan friends joined us, inquiring
solicitously after each and every relative, and send-

188

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

ing remembrances to Elena and her " estimado
marido." When we reached the station there were
waiting for us various country vehicles we had
learned to dread on the southern trip. From one of
them descended Governor Serapio, the terror of
Ladrones, whom you may remember as the prin-
cipal figure in General Grant's dramatic flag present-
ation last spring. The governor is seventy years
old, but so well preserved that he does not look over
fifty.

On our drive to the house where we were to be
entertained an incident occurred, which shows how
many foolish things are done out here by thought-
less officers who wish to impress their power on the
natives. As the first carromata, containing several
Filipinos and one of the private secretaries, was
. passing the convento where the soldiers are quar-
tered, a sentry called to them to halt, and com-
manded that they salute the flag. They protested,
explaining who they were, and were only allowed
to proceed after remonstrance by the American.
The remainder of the party were allowed to pass
unchallenged when the guard satisfied himself there
were Americans with the Filipinos. Malolos is un-
der civil government. The post is there only as a
post in our own country. Imagine the officers of a
garrison in America commanding all passers-by to
salute the flag. It would create an insurrection at
once. The whole region is indignant at these petty

189

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

annoyances, but our host, the judge, had not re-
ported the case, as the Filipino dislikes to get him-
self into trouble with the military authorities.

We had left Manila at half-past seven, and, for-
getful of the Filipino customs, I had before leaving
home eaten a hearty breakfast. Immediately on our
arrival, welcomed as usual by a native band and the
gente, we were ushered into the dining room, where
companies of wine, beer, whisky, and champagne
bottles were ranged up and down the center of the
table, and cold and hot dishes of all kinds were
pressed upon us with the hospitality that will not
take nay for an answer. From half-past nine till
eleven o'clock we sat there, the company leisurely
eating, changing places like a progressive luncheon,
coming and going, talking or silent, as each one
saw fit. Now and then one of our Filipino friends
would rise and make a little complimentary speech
to the ladies, which was always received with muy
bien, the Filipino expression of approval. Our host
sat calmly at ease during the long collation, not in
the least alarmed lest his guests might be bored.
The band played persistently. The younger couples
went off to the big reception room for a waltz, re-
turning now and then for refreshments. At eleven
o'clock we all adjourned to the sala, where the offi-
cers of the garrison, their wives, and three school
teachers were assembled. We were naturally inter-
ested in hearing how the teachers were enjoying

190

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

their work. AH three were women, and university
graduates. One was a pretty girl from Wellesley,
the other two were from the University of Michi-
gan. They were dressed in Hght jusi gowns daintily
made, and presented an attractive appearance. I
could not but notice the manner of the young Fil-
ipinos toward these girls. The lighting of the eye
and the animated expression of the face, the Ameri-
can handshake that accompanied the formal words
of greeting to the teachers, showed plainly the place
these young women had taken among the Filipinos.
These girls were happy and interested in their work.
Two who taught in Malolos were enthusiastic over
the progress of their pupils. The third from Dagu-
pan was quieter, but said she was glad to be in the
Philippines^ and liked teaching Filipino children.
They said life was quite gay, that they were invited
about to balls and fiestas. They were popular, and
danced with the young Filipinos, and I am sure no
one could wish for a more attractive partner or
more graceful dancer than young Seiior Arnedo, of
Sulipan, who was th« life of the party.

A short hour was spent in greeting, chatting, and
exchanging the necessary compliments incident to
the occasion; then, to our consternation, the ban-
quete was announced — the twelve-course dinner we
knew so well from long experience. But there was
no help for it, and we spent two hours eating, en-
livened by speeches and toasts. The simple, straight-

191

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

forward, unadorned sentiments of the Americans
contrasted sharply with the elegant phrases that fall
so easily from the tongue accustomed to the Spanish
language.

During the hot hours of the afternoon the
younger guests danced with marvelous energy. In
the company were two pretty Spanish mestizas in
European dress, who came in yellow slippers two
sizes too small for their feet. These seiioritas
danced unceasingly, although their faces were dis-
torted with pain, and between dances they slipped
off the little yellow shoes and moaned " It hurts !
It hurts ! " in their soft Spanish accent. The
younger one burst into tears after an unusually long
waltz, but with the fortitude of American Indians
they returned to the torture every time the band
began to play.

I was so overcome with the heat, dinner, and this
spectacle that I retired to a big bedroom containing
four large Filipino beds, hoping to rest, but it
proved to be the dressing room, where the ladies
came to plaster their perspiring faces with white
chalk, and where the Spanish maidens came to
weep over their yellow shoes, so, although I " saw
life," I did not rest.

After our attempted siesta we returned to the
scene of festivities, but found the sala deserted, and
the company eating cakes and drinking chocolate in
the dining room. In the cooler hours we walked

192

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

about Malolos. It is practically ruined. The beauti-
ful church and convent were burned by Aguinaldo
when he left the town. Numbers of private dwell-
ings were destroyed, but among those standing
many are remarkable for their picturesqueness.
Several were decorated with elaborate wood carv-
ings. One of the facades was adorned with four
caryatides of heroic size. A half-ruined stone
house was decorated with colored tiles; over the
doors and windows were carvings that suggested
Moresque influence. It was probably presumed that
we were exhausted by the exertion of our sight-
seeing, for supper was served on our return. The
long-suffering men of the party balked this time, so
we poor women, not to hurt our host's feelings,
were driven to partake of sticky sweets and a cup
of tea.

We were accompanied to the station not only by
our hosts, but by all the inhabitants of Malolos and
the band. I proudly record that I kept up an
hysterical gayety of demeanor during the last half
hour of our sojourn in Malolos, only to sink into
stupid blank dullness the moment the thousand
thanks and million compliments had been hurled out
of the car window at our hospitable friends. Truly
such a day makes for what Professor Sill used to
call " pleonusia," or larger experience, but it is not
good for the stomach.

193

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Manila, December 24, 1901.

TO-DAY we said au revoir to Governor Taft and
his family. They left on the Sheridan for San
Francisco, and the Filipinos are lamenting their de-
parture. " We have never had a good governor
who was not taken from us/' an old Filipino friend
said to me to-day as we were returning from the
transport. Many deputations and committees of
Filipinos have waited on the governor during the
past week. He did not wish to go away without
seeing them, so the last days have been exhausting.
As he went on board the transport he looked pale
and worn, but he was in good spirits, and was able
to stand up and shake hands with the hundred or
more friends who came to say good-by. If the
government knows what is best for the Philippine
Islands, Governor Taft will remain in office as long
as his services can be retained, for he has a rare
gift of attraction for, and S3mipathy with, the native
population. At the same time he has the wisdom to
govern them wisely.

Manila, December 26, 1901.
/^^HRISTMAS was not a very lively fiesta with
^-^ us, for Auria was ill in bed. With the excep-
tion of a box of lemons from San Francisco, our
Christmas presents did not arrive, but I bought a
little artificial German tree, hung all kinds of deco-
rations on its stiff wire branches, and under it

194

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

placed a quantity of gifts for Auria, who from the
bed watched the Hghted candles.

A friend who has children told me a story to-day
of the pathetic Christmas letters she had received
from America lamenting the toyless condition of
the little ones in " the far-away heathen land " to
which they were exiled, and of the box of gifts on
which she had been obliged to pay a high duty when
everything it contained could have been duplicated
on the Escolta, probably for half their cost in
America.

One of the jokes of the season is a Christmas
party which was the result of this lack of knowl-
edge of conditions out here. Pascua de la Natividad,
as they call Christmas, is one of the most popular
holidays of the year. As early as two weeks before
Christmas, in all the squares about the churches,
booths are erected for the sale of all imaginable
European toys and notions. Every man, woman,
and child in Manila knows about Christmas gifts,
and among the wealthy families extravagant and
beautiful presents are exchanged. Everyone who
has ever been employed in any capacity during the
year in one's house has hopes of an " aguinaldo,*'
which is a Christmas present. Little poems are left
at^ the door to remind you of your duty to these
various persons; trees "made in Germany" are
lighted on Christmas Eve in many houses.

All innocent of this a benevolent American lady
195

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

in the United States, who was deeply interested " in
the benighted natives," sent out a large collection of
toys, small dolls, blocks, picture books, and knick-
knacks of every sort to a friend in Manila, asking
her to invite a party of Filipino children to her
home, decorate a tree, distribute the gifts, and for
once give them an idea of a real American Christ-
mas. It was exactly the kind of tree one gets up
for a mission Sunday school. Behold assembled a
hundred or more of the elite of Manila's mestizo-
Filipino society with a respectable sprinkling of
American children. What they thought of the
" American Christmas ** I only surmise from the
stories I heard of the extravagance usually dis-
played at the Filipino celebrations. The Filipino
must derive much amusement from American ig-
norance.

I received several aguinaldos from friends. One
especially pretty basket, decorated with red, white,
and blue ribbon and little American flags, was filled
with every imaginable sweet thing to eat. There
were Malaga grapes, imported from Spain packed
in sawdust, that still retained their flavor, raisins in
fancy boxes, nuts, little bottles of champagne,
peaches in sugar, and rich preserves.

The Filipinos spend large sums on their aguinal-
dos, and my dining room was like the show window
of a fancy grocery.

Christmas Eve I was invited by some Filipino
196

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

friends for a huelga, which, translated into corre-
sponding English slang, would be " going on a
tear." We began with the theater, where we saw
some very good Japanese acrobats. The building
was half open to the sky, and the seats for the com-
mon people were benches. For such as we there
were small wooden stalls containing cane-seated
chairs at the side of the stage. We stayed only
long enough to see what the show was like, and
then drove about town to all the principal churches.
There are open squares in front of almost all of
the Manila churches, and they were crowded with
persons of all conditions except just the element we
should at home find in such places — the rough ele-
ment. Anyone, a woman, or even a girl alone,
could have gone anywhere as we did without fear
of rude treatment from the natives. The " tough "
class was repres:nted by soldiers from the United
States and a few of our countrymen, who considered
it funny to " talk Spanish " to native women. One
trio of well-dressed young Americans were driving
about the streets, lolling back in their carriage and
singing or shouting at the passers-by.

The Christmas Eve masses and brilliant decora-
tions of the churches attracted large numbers of
persons, and we could seldom push our way further
than just inside the doors. I am always impressed
at the season of festivals with the refined and ex-
quisite taste the Filipinos show in all their decora-

197

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

tions. The churches are never decked out in the
tawdry adornments we see in other countries, but
color and light are blended, and the effect is always
beautiful. Ever)rwhere the Natividad was repre-
sented in miniature as in Europe, and here, as there,
attracted a crowd of round-eyed children carrying
small babies to view the wonder. Outside, the scene
was scarcely less brilliant, for hundreds of booths
lighted with candles filled the square, in which all
imaginable articles, toys, lamps, trays, and vases,
were gambled for or bought by the crowd. There
are other attractions for those who have ten centa-
vos to spare — shooting galleries, picture galleries,
and one called the animatiscope. It came from
Paris, and was very good. The scenes were col-
ored, and it was sometimes almost impossible to
believe the figures were only light reflections. One
incident occurred in this place which shows how
well known Governor Taft is to the common people.
The place was crowded with natives, who expressed
their emotions unabashed as the moving pictures
were thrown on the screen. One series depicted a
prize fight in a realistic manner, a thin, wiry cham-
pion taking off the honors against all comers until
an immense pugilist of the John Sullivan type en-
tered the contest, and with a few well-directed blows
laid the thin man low. The moment the stout
pugilist was thrown on the screen an exclamation
ran all through the room, " El Gobernador Taft !

198

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

El Gobernador Taft ! " and a storm of applause
greeted every well-directed blow. " Los espanoles/'
1 heard one man say, pointing to the thin and van-
quished champion, whom the stout pugilist finished
by sitting on him till he totally disappeared. We
amused ourselves immensely at this show, and then
tried our luck, or rather " unluck," in the shooting
gallery.

The company with whom I was taking the huelga
consisted of several Filipino girls and a couple of
respected native members of the Manila bar. None
of these young people seemed to take the least in-
terest in the church ceremonies as religious celebra-
tions. Two of the girls would not enter the doors
of the Dominican or Franciscan churches ; they were
so opposed to the friars. It is too bad that so many
of the better-educated Filipinos distrust all the
clergy on account of their hatred of the friars. At
one o'clock we terminated our huelga at a restaurant
on the Escolta, a place unknown to me and to most
Americans, I suspect, where a delicious French sup-
per was served, including baby lobsters, wild boar,
ices, and champagne. At three o'clock in the morn-
ing we all drove up to our house, where I parted
with many Christmas greetings from my Filipino
friends.

Early Christmas morning we distributed our
gifts to each other, and to the waiting house serv-
ants and coachmen. The guard came in for cigars.

199

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

The newspaper boys, postman, and others presented
poems which were cheap at fifty cents apiece. As
our aguinaldos from friends began to arrive, we
learned the messengers expected a pesata apiece,
and there was a loud demand for silver coins. Our
old toothless cook produced a bag of coppers, which
he exchanged for gold, and we loaded down the
bronze-skinned Mercuries with pockets full of cen-
tavos. In the evening we ate a cold-storage- turkey
from Australia. Our guests were a number of sec-
retaries and school teachers.

Manila, December 31, 1901.

YOUR letter inquiring about the Samar affair
and the " real truth " about the success of civil
government arrived to-day, and, although I am in
the hurry of moving, I will free my mind at once
on that subject. The newspapers are misled by the
reports of the associated press correspondent, who
is not only pro-military, but is bitterly opposed to
the civil government. All occurrences which can be
construed as indicating weakness in the latter are
telegraphed directly to America, and the desirability
of a return to the military regime advocated. All
we can say with respect to the civil government is
" wait." At present it seems successful to those
who were staggered at the task which had been set
them, but as I have heard el Senor say so often,
" only time can prove the wisdom or folly of laws

200

Digitized byVjOOQlC

AN OFFICIALS WIFE

and institutions made by men who are groping al-
most in the dark, but who are working earnestly for
the best interests of the Filipinos."

As to the Samar affair, from which so much de-
rogatory to civil rule is being deduced, it should be
said the island never was under civil government.
It has always been under military rule, and was
never pacified under the Spaniards. No province
where the Commission was itself satisfied that the
natives were ready for civil government has re-
volted. Batangas was never pacified, and it was
only on the express recommendation of the military
governor, and against the judgment of the Com-
mission, that the province was organized by them.
The insurrectos were shooting into the town when
the Commission visited it. The native constabulary
has not yet proved itself treacherous, as was pre-
dicted, nor have the native scouts betrayed their
officers. In many places the withdrawing of troops
has been the quickest way to insure peace, and their
presence is often a menace to friendly relations. I
told you of the feeling in Malolos, and only a short
time since a wholesale revolt was reported in a
southern district, and the story was magnified as it
was sent to America. On investigation it was
shown that the insurrection consisted in the entire
population of a small town taking to the mountains ;
the captain in command of the troops stationed there
had brought in two friars, and given the church

20 1

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

over to them. The average second Heutenant who
comes to the PhiHppines would like to go home a
brigadier general, and he naturally can't do it if he
does only garrison duty. I don't say the officers
consciously try to stir up trouble, but many of the
younger ones, and especially the civil appointees,
show no judgment and little sympathy in their deal-
ings with the natives. They can't understand why
they are not able to manage the civil as well as the
military affairs of the district in which they are
quartered.

The events just prior to the departure of Gover-
nor Taft for America furnished a proof of the popu-
larity of the established civil government. The
Malacanan was crowded with deputations and com-
mittees and representatives of all classes, anxious to
have from the governor's own lips a promise that
he would return to the Islands. Rumors have
sprung up among the natives that he will not come
back. I have been asked again and again by intelli-
gent persons if this were true, and even my " China "
boy said the other day : " Market man he say gov'-
ner no come back, everybody all same fighty bime
bye." Luis, our head coachman, an honest, faithful
Ilocano, came upstairs last week, twisting his hat
and rubbing his toes together, to tell me that if " el
gobernador " did not come back he would return
to his native town, which is in the mountains of the
north. A possible way in which these rumors orig-

202

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

inate is suggested by something which happened the
other day at the Oriente Hotel. A newly arrived
officer was in the barroom talking poHtics when one
of the private secretaries of the acting civil gover-
nor entered and was introduced. " Oh ! secretary
of the civil governor, are you! Well, that civil
business will be in our hands before the year is out."
This anecdote, related to me by the secretary him-
self, naturally goes the rounds of the clubs, and,
exaggerated of course, filters into the ranks of the
natives. Can't you understand how delicate a prob-
lem this is out here, dealing with a timid, credulous,
and terrified people who don't dare trust us or each
other ?

Manila, January 2, 1902.

WE began moving this morning, and I had no
idea there were so many things in the house.
We bought the furniture from the owner several
months ago, and it is a poor lot of stuff, all except-
ing some carved chairs and an immense Filipino
carved bed. However, the new house is large
enough to contain ten times the amount of our fur-
niture. The manner of moving in Manila is unique.
Each article is slung on a pole, or poles, and carried
by coolies piece by piece. You can see that a house
flitting is a slow process in the tropics. One big
wardrobe was brought from the shop by ten men,
and it will take that number to carry it to the new
14 203

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

house. Don't imagine, however, that the house is
ftear completion. The bedrooms and dining room
are habitable, but the papering and painting are only
in a state of spasmodic progress. The hall and
drawing rooms are only begun. We discovered un-
der whitewash some beautiful gold-leaf capitals to
the Corinthian pilasters in our hall and drawing
room, so we are decorating it in cream and white.
The rooms are palatial in size, and finely propor-
tioned. One might entertain forty guests in the
dining room. White ants have destroyed much of
the furniture, and I have abandoned a number of
pieces on that account. In one dark closet, the dis-
used wine cellar, I put my hand on a shelf, and it
crumbled into dust. Many of the bins and shelves
in the kitchen were in that condition. We have
made many changes, taking out partitions, cutting
doors in places, and removing several cartloads of
trash, precious, no doubt, to those who own it, but
impossible in a house like this, which must be se-
verely simple to carry out its style. Japanese fans
and lacquer panels hardly adorn the walls of a room
sixty feet long and twenty feet high. One curious
feature in the furnishing was swinging half doors
with painted burlap panels. These were placed
within the large doors, like the screens with " push "
hung within beer-saloon doors in America. I can't
imagine what they were for, for they did not in the
least conceal the legs and heads of persons behind

204

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

them. They were removed, and our reception hall
no longer suggests a whisky joint. I suspect we
shall be two weeks moving, and I am not hurrying,
as I am somewhat ill with a sore throat. It does
not, however, confine me to the house.

133 Calls Concbpcion, January. 14, 1902.

YOU will be glad to know that we have at last
moved, but at present writing I must confess
that the disagreeable features of the transition are
in the ascendant. We have been ten days in the
house, and we are no more settled than we were the
first day. This arises partly from our own fault,
as I was taken ill the day before we moved, and
went to bed with a trained nurse to care for me.
On the day I was suffering most, Ethel came. She
decided at the last moment to leave her party at
Hongkong, visit me, and join them in Colombo.
It was a terrible disappointment to have everything
upset, and not tp be able to move during her visit.
Fraulein was attentive, and showed her some few
things, but she missed the cream of the season, the
Christmas holidays. Just before she came a number
of interesting functions took place. There was a
New Year's ball at the International Club, where all
the mestiza society were present in their jewels and
gorgeous costumes. I wish a first-class artist, like
Sargent, could paint some of these girls. Dona

205

Digitized byVjOOQlC

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Maria was a picture in gold-colored brocade, with
camisa and panuela of the same shade exquisitely
painted and embroidered. Little Mrs. Heredia
sparkled like a small electric tower. She wore a
white-spangled tulle dress from Paris, and her cele-
brated pearl and diamond necklace. Filipinos' man-
ners are good. They always keep within the formal
line. This is more than many Americans know how
to do.

You benighted people have never heard, I sup-
pose, of the great Filipino hero, Jose Rizal. Being
a dead hero, it is quite safe to eulogize him. My
own opinion is that, were he alive now, he would
be an insurrecto. All the orators are telling us what
he would have done and said at this juncture. The
Federal party says that he would have been a peace-
party delegate. The Americans call him the Wash-
ington of the Archipelago. I often wonder what
George Washington would think if he found his
name pinned on Aguinaldo and other " liberators."
The Filipino people wish to raise a monument to Ri-
zal, so they first asked the Commission to subscribe,
and have already raised two thousand dollars, Mexi-
can, seventeen hundred of which was subscribed pri-
vately by the members of the Commission and civil
authorities. The committee wish to raise one hun-
dred thousand dollars, but I doubt if they can do it.
On the thirtieth day of December they held a memo-
rial service in the Zorilla Theater. It was a gay af-

206

Digitizedby

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

fair in spite of the funeral marches. The boxes were
packed, and society was out in full dress. A gayer
scene could hardly be witnessed anywhere. There
were also exercises on the Luneta, the anniversary
of the day Rizal was shot. It was early in the
morning. There were flags and wreaths, and hun-
dreds of banana trees were set in the ground as
decoration. In the center of the band square was
a broken shaft with a little fence around it, like a
grave in a cemetery. Every barrio in town brought
a wreath. Buencamino made a speech in the ver-
nacular, and others spoke in Spanish. There were
thousands of Filipinos on the Luneta, but only a few
Americans. In the evening the Carmonas took me
to the Rizal Theater. It was an awful place. There
were six hundred persons crowded in an immense
bam, and but one small exit. It made me nervous,
especially as the stage was decorated with lanterns
and bamboo, and a dozen small boys frolicked about
behind the scenes. I remained about half an hour,
and then told Seiior Carmona that I was sure I
should faint if I stayed in the heated air any longer,
and rose and went home. I did not feel embar-
rassed to leave my entertainers, for the girls' pleas-
ure in having the wife of a member of the Commis-
sion in their box was added to by the sensation I
created parading down the theater in the middle of
the play escorted by the chief of police, who hap-
pened to sit near us.

207

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

The acting governor gave a New Year's recep-
tion at Malacanan. There was a big crush; over
six hundred guests came during the evening. It
began about five o'clock, and an officer told me that
there was a scramble on the part of the represent-
atives of the army and navy each to get in ahead
of the other. I don't know how true the stories of
the rivalry between army and navy are, but they are
always floating about. Last winter, at General Mc-
Arthur's New Year's reception, the papers said that
several persons left the palace without going in,
because they had not been assigned to their proper
places. This year I think it was a " go-as-you-
please" affair; at all events, the guests were not
kept shut up in a room half an hour, and let out
into the reception room according to rank, as they
were last year. To say, however, that the love of
rank has not invaded the civilian breast is not true,
for I heard two ladies earnestly discussing whether
the wife of the auditor ought to precede the wife
of the postmaster, or vice versa. That certain per-
sons leave good manners behind them even on for-
mal occasions like an official New Year's reception
was proved many times to-day, when certain Amer-
icans shook hands with the white members of the
reception party and passed the Filipinos by without
recognition of any kind. It is wearying to stand
three hours shaking hands, and I think to exhaustion
as much as to anything else was due my illness of

208

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

last week. The weather is still fresh, so cool at
night that I sleep under a blanket

Manila, February i, 1902.

THE house is still unsettled, but we hope that
next week everything will be in order. The
days pass quickly in superintending the coolies who
clean the floors and arrange the ^furniture. There
is much more to do at this house than at Calle San
Jose, so we have added two Filipino boys to our
servant corps to polish the mahogany floors and
dust the furniture. They need constant watching/
but are merry little fellows, and enjoy the skating
back and forth over the mirrorlike surfaces; at
least they are always playing jokes on each other
and giggling. I have discovered, too, that I can
appeal to their vanity to induce them to work, foi;
they adore brass buttons, and the promise of a whit^
duck livery with boots and buttons is so effective
that the floors are becoming dangerous ; they are as
slippery as ice. Since moving into this house all
the servants have larger quarters. The five Chinese
have a big room by themselves, and there are half 2^
dozen small rooms where the Filipinos spread thei^
mats. >

Ever since we came to Manila we have obsti-^
nately set our faces against the Filipino habit of
introducing the relatives of servants into the house-
Our first question on interviewing a Filipino for

209

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

any position was, " Have you a wife? " and " Yes "
was cause for immediate rejection. So, day before
yesterday, g^eat was my astonishment when Luis,
whom we all considered a confirmed bachelor, came
up the stairs in a state of tearful despair, dragging
a ragged little girl behind him also weeping. After
much incoherent explanation it transpired that " el
Sefior Commissionado " had given orders to the
guard that no Filipino, man or woman, who was
not employed on the place should be admitted, and
that he, Luis, had been married three weeks, and
had hidden his bride in a cubbyhole downstairs, but
that the prowling guard had discovered her and
wanted to turn her out. This was confirmed by the
guard, who had just found an ancient female and
an old man in a far-away corner of the premises,
who were acknowledged as the father and mother
of the sixteen-year-old bride. It did not seem to
occur to Luis that el Sefior had not the power
forcibly to separate man and wife, nor did he
threaten to betake himself and his relations to an-
other, more lenient master. He only begged me not
to let " el Seiior " take her away, for he liked her
very much, and would keep her hidden all the time
so we should never see her. During the discussion
the bride was sniveling, and the two old ones,
dragged from their retreat by the big guard, were
twisting their toes and gazing at me as if I were
their judge in a trial for their lives. At last I could

2IO

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

stand it no* longer, and, much to the disapproval of
the guard, I began to laugh. At once a magic
change came over the company, and my laughter
was reflected in their faces; the sniveling of the
bride ceased, and she raised two very big black eyes
to my face, while Luis, taking my levity for consent,
began to shower me with mil gracias^ The other
Filipinos and the Chinamen had come to assist at
the negotiations, for in these patriarchal households
all the servants participate in everything of interest,
and Lai Ting sagely remarked : " She no mush
double, velly small girl."

The barrier is now down, and the number of
parientes will gradually increase. The term pari-
entes will, moreover, be liberally construed like Chi-
nese " cousin," and will include anyone without a
place to live. I shall now expect Hieronomo and
Esteban, who are respectively sixteen and fourteen,
to take wives unto themselves. Luis assured me
that his bride was his real wife, and that it cost him
ten pesos to get married. I suspect Lai Ting's ap-
proval was not altogether disinterested, for I saw
Anna, the new wife, peeling potatoes for the cook
this morning; no doubt he gives her scraps from
the kitchen in return. I persuaded el Seiior it was
narrow-minded to force our customs on these peo-
ple, where the principles of government were not
involved, and that Luis is the only coachman who
can manage our black horses. They kick everyone

211

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

who comes near them, and one of them bit a piece
out of the leg of Auria's pony the other night.
Sometimes they make night hideous stamping and
squealing, so prudence points to conforming our-
selves to the FiHpino custom of housing parientes.

I am going to give a big card party next week to
open the house. There are invitations out for din-
ners and receptions in large numbers for this week,
as Lent will close all festivities for a time, much to
the relief of everyone. There is no " season " in the
tropics, and one has to entertain all the year.

Manila, February ii, 1903.

TUESDAY evening I went to a masked ball, and
it proved that some persons found " loot " in
Pekin if we did not. There were numbers of
gorgeous mandarin robes, and the affair was orien-
tal and beautiful. Auria has gone to the Luneta to
throw confetti, as it is Mardi Gras, and the children
are having a little carnival. Don Tomas, my in-
formant concerning all things social, came to call,
followed by his servant carrying a little mandarin
orange tree covered with fruit, growing in a fancy
pot, as a carnival gift. He says this season used to
be very gay under the Spaniards, and that the Lu-
neta was always crowded with masqueraders. It
has been too cold for comfort to-day. I really
longed for a cheerful little hearth and a fire; the
mosquitoes were almost torpid.

212

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

There has been an effort made here lately to start
a riksha company, and we thought it would suc-
ceed, but the Chinese and Japanese consuls and citi-
zens have protested against " making beasts of hu-
man beings," and the company cannot get coolies to
pull the rikshas. The rikshas are, I hear, still in the
customs house. The English consul uses one, and
his coolies seem quite as human as some of the
dirty bare-legged drivers who beat broken-down
ponies about the streets. An automobile company,
too, has started a bus, but the fares are too high to
make it popular. There are several private ma-
chines in town, as I know to my cost. One so
frightened our ponies yesterday that they ran away
and broke the harness. Only the skill of Luis saved
us from a general smash-up, and I am glad we let
him keep his wife. This winter a great many offi-
cers are driving American horses in imported rigs.
The ladies wear hats on the Luneta, and the white
duck skirt and white waist are no longer fine enough
for morning wear. It is too bad. One can't enjoy
a tropical climate in hats and gloves.

Manila, February 24, 1902.

THE unprecedented cold weather has led the Fil-
ipinos to believe the end of the world is at
hand, and as usual they lay it to the coming of the
Americans. They say we have brought the cold
weather with us.

213

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

I have just received a unique gift from a Filipino
friend, a quarter of hot roast pig with a delicious
green sauce. As it is only ten o'clock in the morn-
ing I do not know what to do with it, but Lai Ting
says he will take care of it. . A look in that heathen's
eye reminds me that roast pig was invented in
China.

We discourage the regalo, or gift habit, so in-
grained in the native character, but one can't return
hot roast pig to his friends. Yesterday an English
acquaintance sent us a big basket of vegetables from
Hongkong. There were cabbages, turnips, car-
rots, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and beets. That
sounds prosaic enough, doesn't it? But, after the
tinned-vegetable diet, cabbage is a delicacy, likewise
corned beef.

We went to a ball the other night in honor of
George Washington's birthday, given by the Federal
party in the International Club rooms. The place
was decorated with the usual taste which distin-
guishes the Filipinos. They make use of garlands
exactly like those in the fifteenth-century Italian
paintings. The greenery is of a fine-foliaged plant,
and brilliant flowers are tied in among the leaves.
Hundreds of yards of garlands are often used on
festive occasions. I wore a mestiza costume, which
caused the elderly Filipinos, ancient judges, and dig-
nitaries to overwhelm me with compliments. There
was, as usual, an elaborate supper. On a corner of

214

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

the invitations were the words " rigorosa etiqueia/*
meaning that no one would be admitted who did not
wear a dress suit. This was explained to me by
one of the managers, who said that whenever they
gave a ball, about supper time a crowd of Ameri-
cans, I confess it with mortification, were in the
habit of coming in uninvited in khaki suits, mak-
ing themselves disagreeable by their disregard of
the common rules of politeness. Isn't it a pity that
a few rude boors can so disgrace the country?

I think pur people are too offhand with the Fili-
pinos. Many quite nice Americans will take liber-
ties in the way of going with friends to houses
where they are unbidden. The other evening I saw
a number of persons who "just came along with
the crowd," as they openly confessed, and in conse-
quence the champagne fell short, and the master of
ceremonies, whom I knew quite well, was covered
with confusion, for it was too late at night to get
any more. " Seiiora," he said in excuse for ap-
parent inhospitality, " there are nearly fifty guests
here to-nig^t who were not invited." These are
unimportant facts, but they might possibly help to
throw light on the statement so often made by
Americans returning home, " that the Filipinos do
not like us."

The Americans celebrated Washington's birthday
with the Amateur Racing Association. There were
mule races, and pony races, and very bad hurdle

215

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

rac^. The betting was so universal that, seeing one
of the major generals present without a book, I
asked in surprise, " Don't you bet, general ? " " No,
madame, I believe in setting a good example to the
younger officers, and the horses are no good." It
rained, and was cold all the afternoon, which some-
what spoiled the effect of the gay scene.

Last night I was awakened by a sound like a
fusillade of pistols! I jumped out of bed and ran
into the hall, where I found a crowd of half-awake,
trembling, wild-eyed domestics frightened out of
their senses. " Insurrectos, insurrectos ! " they
wailed. I thought so myself, and called to the
guard to know what was the matter. It was a big
fire in a Filipino barrio near by, and the revolver-
like explosions were the bamboo poles, of which all
the native houses are made, bursting open with the
heat. It was exactly like a succession of pistol shots.
The fire spread rapidly, and was so fierce that I
thought our house might take fire. I do not sup-
pose there was really any danger of our house burn-
ing, but in the middle of the night it seemed so.
We all dressed and went out on the sidewalk, where
the natives were gathering from the burning barrio.
The sight was both funny and sad. A Filipino
house burns so rapidly that the inhabitants have
only time to seize the nearest articles and save
themselves. So we found our sidewalk filled with
old women and babies, men and small boys, laden

216

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

with the most nondescript collection of household
goods. Some sat on chairs or stools clasping a
bundle of rags in their arms. One woman had saved
a spoon and a broken rice bowl. The little earthen
stoves in which the coals are placed to cook their
simple meals were clasped in the arms of half-clad
girls and boys. Every man had his precious fight-
ing cock under one arm, and not a few held a gui-
tar under the other. There was no complaining
or lamenting. The round-eyed babies sat gazing
quietly at the flames, while their mothers and
fathers squatted on the ground, and watched their
household goods disappear in smoke with an apathy
that was surprising. Fortunately, it was not rain-
ing, and the night was warm, so before we retired
from the scene half-a-dozen families were preparing
to go to sleep in an angle of our wall under a cocoa-
nut tree. Auria enjoyed the fire immensely. She
showed great presence of mind, too, when we all
half believed the insurrectos were attacking the
town. She kept assuring me that there was no dan-
ger, for our guard had his gun.

This has been a busy week. I cannot see that the
Filipinos or the Europeans keep Lent with any
strictness. Cards are the excuse for any number of
gay affairs, and dinners and luncheons are as
numerous as ever.

I am planning to take Auria and Fraulein to
Japan during the hot weather, while the schools are

217

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

closed for the long vacation. We all need a rest in
some quiet place.

Manila, February 28, 1902.

THE past week has been spent in so frivolous a
manner that I have nothing to write. The
only event of importance was Lukban's surrender.
The general feeling is a regret that he did not " die,
honorably fighting for his country," the heart's de-
sire of all the insurrecto officers, if one may believe
their eloquent manifestoes. It would certainly be
much simpler for the army, for no one seems to
know what to do with a captured insurrecto gen-
eral. Aguinaldo is living in the former residence
of Commissioner Worcester. He has dropped out
of sight in the Islands. Now and then I hear of a
tourist who asks permission to see him. He never
leaves the house even with a guard, for he is
afraid of being killed by his enemies. It is reported
the friends of General Luna, whpm he caused to be
killed, have sworn to bolo Aguinaldo whenever they
have the opportunity. He is anxious to go to
America, and has petitioned the commanding gen-
eral several times to permit him to do so. A Fili-
pino, formerly a member of his cabinet, told me that
he visits Aguinaldo sometimes, and he seems inter-
ested only in what is being said about him in Eu-
rope and America. He is disappointed that the
newspapers pay no attention to him.

218

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

The provinces have just elected governors for
the first time, and we are all rejoicing over the re-
sults of the election. You may remember that, on
the establishment of civil government in the Islands,
the Commission appointed the provincial officers.
Whenever possible they made a Filipino governor,
but in some places it was not advisable; in others
the people wished an American. The law provided
that the people should, in February of this year,
elect their governor. Almost everyone was pes-
simistic as to the wisdom of this provision, and I
know that Governor Taft and the Commissioners
were anxious about the outcome of the first elec-
tion. Isn't it rather remarkable that a people un-
accustomed to the exercise of any political right
should hold quiet, orderly, and legal elections in
almost e\iery province? In most cases the officers
appointed last year were reelected. When others
were substituted they were in almost every case per-
sons who had been actively in favor of the Ameri-
can regime. The franchise, you know, is not ex-
tended to all citizens, but an educational or a
property qualification is the basis of the right to
vote. A man must either be able to read and write,
or be worth five hundred pesos. The success of the
provincial elections may give a partial answer to
your letter last month asking for the " real truth "
about the success of civil government in the
Islands.

15 219

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

March 15, 1902.

I HAVE written no letters in two weeks, as Auria
has been ill with fever, and the weather has been
abnormally hot. Everything is dry; fine dust set-
tles everywhere, and the mosquitoes are a terrible
pest. I spend most of my time sitting under a mos-
quito net on my bed. The nights are hotter than
they were last year. All night long I hear in a
half dream the continuous noise of vehicles passing
over the Ayala bridge, or the cry of the casco men
as they float down the river from the Laguna with
loads of stone and cargoes from Batangas. We
have been waiting to get a stateroom on an outgo-
ing transport for Jai>an, but Auria has been too ill
to go. Her blood does not show malaria ; it is not
dengue, and, when I call it " plain fever," the doc-
tor says in a superior way " there is no sueh thing."
Although I am sorry for the doctor, who has been
waiting four weeks for transportation home, cooped
up in a hotel in the walled city with a wife and two
children, I am glad he is here to watch over Auria.

We went to an exhibition and ball at the Nautical
School last night. There were fifty-eight young
cadets, trim and jaunty in their uniforms, and, in
spite of their good looks and the pride of their re-
lations, they appeared surprisingly modest. The
average young Filipino, if he has any claims to good
looks, especially if he be in a uniform, is somewhat
trying by reason of his conceit. Anyone who has

220

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

had the least smattering of an education longs to
put on the dress of a gentleman and become a sec-
retary — ^an escribiente, as they call it. El Seiior tells
a story of a Filipino who had been asked why the
trade schools, which had been established to teach
carpentry, mechanics, and such things, were not bet-
ter attended by the Filipino boys. The man struck
an attitude, and, pointing to his arms, said : " Amer-
icans very strong here; Americans like work."
Then, raising his hand to his head and pointing to
his forehead, continued : " Filipinos very strong
here; Filipinos like to study books."

If Auria is better Saturday we shall leave on the
Thomas for Japan. There is a great deal of sick-
ness in town. The Worcesters have gone to the
Benguet Mountains, and half the army women here
are leaving for Japan. Fortunately, there is little
or no plague this spring. The war on rats last year
has protected us from it this season, I hope.

Manila, March 23, 1902.

I SUPPOSE the correspondents have telegraphed
to America the news of the outbreak of cholera,
and that you are imagining all sorts of horrors. The
fact is that after the first uncertainty — during the
days when the authorities suspected its existence,
but were hoping the disease would be sporadic — ^we
were all more or less nervous, but now that we
know that Manila is really in for a siege of cholera,

221

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

everyone has calmed down, and is hard at work
making the town as sanitary as possible. The ex-
citement attending so serious a situation as the out-
break of cholera, in a city in which only a few years
ago thirty thousand persons perished within three
months, keeps one from taking time to be frightened.
I confess to a queer sensation in my knees, but that
is excitement, I suppose. At all events, to watch
twelve ignorant, superstitious Orientals, who are as
likely to die of fright as of cholera, keeps me busy.
The doctor, with his wife, arrived from Bohol the
day the existence of cholera was definitely deter-
mined, and under his direction we put our house
into sanitary condition so far as we could. The
odors are awful, but comforting, and the fact that
a very little heat kills the cholera germ keeps up
our courage. We hosed off the " China " boys and
Filipinos with disinfectants, and I made their eyes
stick out with fright by describing a cholera germ.
I searched the dictionary for appropriate terms, and
made such an impression on the coachmen and their
parientes downstairs, and on the floor boys, that they
go about with their mouths shut tight, scarcely dar-
ing to open them lest a microbio pop into them. The
two little boys, I am sure, expect to see them jump
out from every dark comer. I told Lai Ting:
" Cholera all same cockroach, only velly small. He
hide in dirt, and jump out to kill ' China ' boy and
Filipino. If ' China ' boy keep house clean, no die."

222

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

We are doing many things just now that seem like
overprecaution. Of course, we eat only tinned
vegetables and well*done meats, but in addition we
toast all the bread, heat all the plates, and scald all
the glasses before every meal. We open a fresh tin
of cream each meal, and have concluded to buy
tinned butter. The water is distilled, and the bot-
tles in which we keep it sterilized. This means con-
tinuous oversight, and at night I am so tired that I
have no time to let my imagination run riot.

The Commission is holding extra sessions, and
everyone is working to prevent the spread of the
disease, and get the city in as sanitary a condition
as possible. It has been divided into districts, in
each of which there is a chief surgeon, under whom
are doctors, inspectors, police, and helpers. There
is a house-to-house inspection, and the nipa shacks
in which deaths occur are to be burned, because the
nipa hut cannot be properly disinfected. The gov-
ernment will pay the owners for the property de-
stroyed. A detention camp has been built outside
the city, where it is proposed to detain the inmates
of the houses where a death from cholera has oc-
curred. This quarantine camp is regarded with
suspicion by the natives, who imagine all kinds of
horrors await them there. It is difficult to manage
the lowest classes, who are the ones at present in
the greatest danger. They instinctively hide their
sick, and do everything to avoid a quarantine. Even

223

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

inteUigent Filipinos are disposed to conceal the fact
that a member of their family has cholera. One
reason is the prohibition of funerals, and the fear
of cremation, which they seem to think will send
them straight to perdition.

Manila, March 24, 1902.

TO-DAY the surface wells are being filled, and
the stream which supplies Manila with water
is guarded by soldiers, from the springs all along
its length to the pumping station. In the ice plant
another boiler is being installed, and thirteen thou-
sand gallons of distilled water a day are to be placed
in various parts of the city, where all may get it free
of charge. There is a plan to make vegetables a
government monopoly, to be sold cooked. This
means a tremendous amount of work if it is carried
out. Dr. Bourns has charge of this part of the
work, and if the disease becomes alarming kitchens
are to be established where natives may buy cooked
vegetables. Rice and potatoes will be sold as before,
for the natives do not eat them uncooked. No
fruits will be brought into town. Already the ice-
cream and sorbet makers are corraled, and are only
allowed to sell ices made in the neighborhood of the
cold storage and ice plant. We know that the city
water supply is not infected, as it is examined every
day.

The disease was probably introduced from Hong-
224

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

kong in vegetables, which are imported in large
quantities. When the Hongkong people cabled that
cholera had broken out, the quarantine authorities
condemned and threw five thousand dollars' worth
of fresh vegetables into the bay. There is no doubt
that the disease existed before it was made public,
and it was started here by some one eating the con-
demned vegetables.

Since I wrote the preceding lines the doctor has
come home to luncheon, and reported three new
cases since eight o'clock this morning, and an out-
break in Bulacan, a town on the railroad north of
Manila. It will be more difficult to deal with the
cholera in the provinces, because there are few
Americans to work in the sanitary departments. It
was fine of the doctor, who was on his way home,
to give up his trip to Japan, and stay here just be-
cause they needed him.

Manila, April 4, 1902.
A S we are going to Benguet to-morrow morning,
-^^ and as the mails from there are uncertain, I'll
write a few lines now to send on the Peru to-
morrow.

We are still fighting the cholera, but, as the
natives persist in hiding the sick, the number of
cases is increasing. The Board of Health is burn-
ing whole districts where the shacks are in a filthy
condition. It is hard for the natives; they are be-

225

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

wildered, and cannot understand the reason for it.
Some one said the other night that the natives were
more afraid of the sanitary inspector than of the
cholera. Sometimes, when I think of our rough
ways of doing things, I feel an intense pity for these
poor people, who are being what we call " civilized "
by main force. Of course, in the cholera time it is
for their immediate good, and the government pays
for their houses and their goods, yet they cannot
understand it, and it seems an act of tyranny
worse than that of the Spaniards. In spite of
all my lectures and my practice, our Chinese do
not understand the first principles of sanitary
cleanliness. Last week I was standing over Lai
Ting, who was filling bottles with distilled water
after having sterilized them; one of the bottles
being a little hot, he turned to the faucet, and
began to cool it with city water. I was discour-
aged. A number of Europeans have died since
the outbreak of the disease, but in every case they
have been of a low class, and had lived in filthy sur-
roundings.

We think Benguet will be a better place for Auria
than Japan, and at present the transports are held
in the bay five days before sailing, as the authorities
fear an outbreak on shipboard. We shall go to
Dagupan by rail, and from there by ambulance to
Naguilian. There we shall take to the trail with
Igorroto carriers and ponies. The heat here is in-

226

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

tense, and debilitating, and the doctor has ordered
Auria away from the coast.

The Commission has decided to enlarge the sani-
tarium, and to plan for several houses at Baguio,
where the officers of the government may recuperate
during the hot season. El Sefior goes with us to
decide on suitable sites, and make plans for the new
town. Thirty Chinese carpenters have been engaged
to build the addition to the sanitarium, so we shall
form a considerable colony. There were fifteen new
cases of cholera reported at noon to-day. One of
the police, who has been on guard at the gate dur-
ing the week, died last night. This seems to bring
the disease rather near us. It is amazing how care-
less the men are. Our guard will drink from the
faucet in the yard rather than take the trouble to
walk to the back stairs and ask for distilled water.
We are planning for a two months' absence from
Manila. El Sefior will return in a week.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

VIII

IN THE WILDS OF BENGUET

Dagupan, April 5, 1902.

AT four o'clock this morning I was aroused by
• the guard knocking on the house door, and
awoke to the unhappy consciousness that I must get
up in spite of the weariness a sleepless night had
brought me. We were to leave Manila for Dagu-
pan at eight o'clock, so I shook off my inclination
for one more nap, and went to the window for a
breath of fresh air. As I leaned out, the sky toward
Ermita was brilliant with the blaze of a burning
barrio. The sanitary board was destroying infected
shacks. A fire at night is always a solemn spectacle,
and the silence was intense. Just above the blaze
was a waning moon, and a bright star shone below
the crescent. The air was cool, and in a moment I
felt quite refreshed.

I wish you might have seen the procession start-
ing for the station. First went the doctor and his
wife in a calesa laden with a nondescript and dis-
reputable lot of baggage. Then came our carriage,
the double one, with a mountain of small luggage,

228

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

two saddles, rolls of blankets, luncheon, and watw
bottles, while we tucked ourselves in anywhere. A
private car had been attached to the train for us.
Imagine how the Philippines have progressed since
last year. It was a real private car. There were
three Pullman-car beds, a table, desk, ice chest, and
an observation section at one end. All this made
our trip comfortable. There were interesting sights,
as there always are traveling. Everywhere the
bamboo has been thinned for the market until it is
only delicate tracery against the sky. There were
great mango trees laden with green fruit, and cocoa-
nut groves bending under clusters of yellow globes
like footballs. At one place ten million young wing-
less locusts were crossing a river on the railway
bridge. We made paste of at least five million, and
the locomotive could hardly draw the train over the
slippery mass. Everyone was in good spirits.
Manila and the cholera vanished, and the strain of
the last few weeks was relaxed.

At Dagupan we were met by the officers of the
garrison. Two captains very kindly gave up their
quarters to us, and arranged for our dinner. We
have been laughing at ourselves all day, for our
Benguet outfit is suitable for a trip to the North
Pole.

229

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Bauang. en route to Bbnguet, April 6, 1902.

WHEN I look back on my various experiences,
I think that for a combination of the new, the
picturesque, and the foreign, our trip yesterday from
Dagupan to Bauang was perhaps the most complete.
We went to bed early in Dagupan, as we were all
tired, but the wind blew, making sleep difficult. We
intended to start on our ambulance trip at six, but,
through some delay in getting a guard, we did not
get off till seven. We laid in quite a stock of com-
missaries at Dagupan, for we did not know how
long we might be en route. The road leading out
from the town was narrow and level. For some
distance it ran along a dyke between rice paddies.
We had a Dorety wagon for ourselves, with four
horses and a little white-haired German driver. Be-
hind us came the ambulance and baggage, with the
architect, who has three thousand dollars in silver
done up in bags to look out for. He carries this
money to pay the carpenters who go up to build the
sanitarium at Baguio. The doctor, in addition to his
medical duties, has been appointed commissary ser-
geant of the company. The doctor's wife keeps us
up to our ideals, or, rather, she struggles to do so
without success. We started in the two wagons
with a guard from Dagupan at seven, and went
trotting along between almost solid rows of nipa
shacks. It was Sunday ; the roadway was crowded
with natives returning from mass, the hombres in

230

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

white shirts, with their fighting cocks under their
arms, and the mujeres in neatly embroidered ca-
misas, with white veils over their heads. Last
year at this time all the inhabitants of these pueblos
had stampeded to the mountains. Their shacks had
been burned and their- crops destroyed. They have
nearly all returned, and ever)rthing looks prosperous
on account of the newly built bamboo and nipa
houses. The windows were full of smiling women
and children. There were pretty girls with their fat
and good-natured mothers, and thin, gray-haired,
worn-out old men and women.

We came near having two serious accidents dur-
ing the morning. The ambulance, with four lively
horses, followed our Dorety. Twice in a narrow
place they bolted, and came perilously hear taking
off our rear wheel, and avoided by the merest chance
being upset themselves. After two of these narrow
escapes we ordered the ambulance to take the lead,
much to the disgust of our driver, who called the
ambulance man all sorts of new and strange Ameri-
can-Filipino names. He was, moreover, somewhat
annoyed by our insisting on walking over the
bridges, which in this part of the country are rickety
wooden frames covered with woven bamboo. They
are' springy and full of holes, and at first sight filled
us with terror, but they were comparatively safe.
Later in the day, where there would have been
some reason in our alighting, we boldly sat in the

231

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Dorety as it swung to and fro, and shook the crazy
dilapidated bridges to their foundations of soft mud.
We drove twenty-seven miles in the morning over a
rough but not a bad road, fording the streams in
many places, and were agreeably surprised at the
coolness of the fresh air. During the last three
hours our road skirted the sea, which was wonder-
fully blue, like the Mediterranean, but the shore line
was undiversified. At one o'clock we came to Santo
Tomas, a pueblo where we were to take luncheon.
We found it a dilapidated place, all of the wooden
houses having been burned, and the stone church
ruined by an earthquake. The presidente and the
principales all turned out, and there was the usual
hablar.

The doctor's wife and I have acquired the proper
society speeches, and, while our husbands attend to
business, we make ourselves agreeable with our
mil gracias, muy contentas, el honor estd maestro, and
all the forms that hinder the dispatch of business,
but the use of which places these inhabitants of dis-
tant pueblos within the ranks of civilization in re-
spect to formal politeness. It is surprising to find
in mountain villages men and women with the ease
and repose of manner that would do credit to per-
sons who have traveled and had experience in 'the
world. Last evening in this place we descended on
a family in whose house we had been invited to
spend the night. A gray-haired woman received us

232

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

and the other visitors, who came to pay their re-
spects to us, with the air of a duchess. She had
never been away from her pueblo, and was a pure-
blooded Filipina. When her sons came to salute
her they bowed low, kissing first her hand and then
her cheek. We astonish the natives when we arrive
in a pueblo by bringing our food, bedding, and little
alcohol stoves. On account of the cholera we pre-
pare our own dinners, and refuse the excited in-
vitations of the presidentes who have expected to
entertain us. There were at least half-a-dozen offi-
cials along the line of our route who had prepared
their houses for us, and were filled with astonish-
ment and dismay to see us arrive, eat, sleep, and
depart. They remonstrated with us, saying, " The
voyage is too quick, too quick." From the Filipino
standpoint it ought to have taken four days to travel
as far as we went in one.

In Santo Tomas we took our luncheon in the half-
finished house of a prominent citizen. We ate tinned
beans and brown bread with a relish from a new
table, taking a siesta in big Filipino beds on clean
mats. After the siesta we started on, and from
SantD Tomas to Bauang was by far the more enjoy-
able part of the drive. The road was wide and
fairly smooth. On either side were small farms,
divided by neat fences. The principal crop was to-
bacco, and the little patches with their broad green
leaves and white spikes were an attractive sight

233

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

growing in the well-tilled fields; the drying leaves
hanging in yellow sheets under the eaves of the
neat new thatch of the houses made a charming
study in color. The roadway was filled with little
carts drawn by carabao or trotting bulls. All the
inhabitants appeared to be moving, or taking a Sab-
bath airing. The cart wheels are of a solid piece
fixed on an axle which revolves in a ring fastened
to the body of the cart. There are several kinds of
these carts; some are of wood, and are used to
transport the produce of the country — lumber, salt,
and merchandise. As it was Sunday we had a fine
view of the mothers and children crouched on the
bottom of springless vehicles, gazing at us with
wide-open eyes as they withdrew to ditches in order
to clear the way for the Americanos. These family
carriages were usually open basket carts, but we
passed many covered ones. The tops were of woven
bamboo matting bent in an arch, open toward the
front, and closed at the back. We saw all sorts and
conditions of persons in these creaking, lumbering
conveyances — from a fat Chino, who was reposing
inside one at full length on a bed, to an American
family followed by a train of household goods. • Just
as the sun was setting we met a sturdy American
miner with a stocky little pony; he was walking
some distance to the rear of the animal's heels, and
guiding him with reins. The miner's pick, hatchet,
and camping outfit told us what its owner was look-

234

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

ing for in this new land. He was young, and as he
passed us his clear-cut profile and decisive chin were
for a moment silhouetted against the sky. I think
we all saw in him the type of the energy that is to
make this new land yield its wealth to the fair-
skinned stranger.

As the sun sank low in the west our road lay
close enough to the shore to show us fishing villages
of brown thatch nestling in mango groves, with tall
cocoanut palms raising their slender stems and wav-
ing their tasseled plumes against the yellow sunset.
Why does the sight of a cluster of cocoanut palms
thrill the Anglo-Saxon blood? There was a mem-
ory of Japan in the shore line that haunted me all
the afternoon. The latter part of our drive was in
the short twilight, and we forded several streams
pink with the reflected rays of the setting sun. At
the last river bank, just before going into Bauang,
we' saw an unusual sight. Gathered at the edge of
the stream were at least fifty wooden-wheeled carts.
The trotting bulls and carabao were lying in the
sand at rest, and the groups about the fires, where,
in gypsy fashion, women and girls were cooking
the evening meal, made pictures in light and shade
which would have delighted an artist. We forded
the stream, and with a final attempt at style dashed
up the hill and drew up our horses in front of the
tribunal. The officials were waiting for us, chairs
were brought, and the presidente bustled about, and
1« 235

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

in a short time we were lodged in the best house in
town. We ate our supper, and after receiving sev-
eral neighboring secretaries and presidentes, who
came in a quilez drawn by three horses abreast, we
retired to our blankets and the floor. The owners
took to the sala floor, where they added a finishing
touch to the scene as they rolled themselves up in
blankets and stretched themselves in all the available
corners. The strange noises and the excitement of
our trip kept me awake, and all night the picturesque
scenes we had passed through floated before my
wide-open eyes. The doctor's wife, with her usual
foresight, had prepared for spiders and cockroaches,
and was, with the irony of fate, the only one mo-
lested. Two curious young locusts crawled down
her neck during the night, and the disturbance they
created suggested an insurrecto uprising. Auria
was alarmed in the night by pigs and chickens under
the house, and the cracking of a whip which resem-
bled pistol shots.

Naguilian, at thb foot of thb Bbnguet

' Mountains, April 7, 1902.

THIS is the place where we cut loose from civ-
ilization, as represented by negro teamsters
and cavalry sergeants. There is something Gilbert-
and-Sullivanlike in taking a guard to the wildest
and, to the average mind, the most dangerous part
of the country, and then leaving it and trusting one's

236

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

self to a hundred Igorrotes in the lonely fastnesses
of the mountains. Our trip from Bauang to this
place showed how hardened to danger we had be-
come, for a rougher road one cannot imagine. At
first we drove for miles through a stony, sandy, dry
river bed. Tall pampas grass grew in thick clumps
close to the trail, and our road was made more diffi-
cult by branches of waving thorn, which caught our
veils and scratched our faces. There was a repeti-
tion of yesterday's scenes at the fords, and we were
never tired of watching the wooden-wheeled carts
and their picturesque occupants. We found our-
selves for the first time in the land of hats. Hats
which heretofore we had seen adorning the walls
of officers' quarters were seen here on men and
women alike. The inhabitants of the district seemed
industrious, and the little valleys were well culti-
vated. We looked down on one stretch of fertile
land as we reached the last hill before Naguilian
came in sight. It lay below us like a bit of southern
California, green and beautiful, with bare hills on
either side; across the valley the foothills rose into
wooded blue mountains, and beyond was the sug-
gestion of heights hidden by cloud and mist that
thrills the traveler in the dust and heat of the plain.
Think of it, we are going to the real mountains
covered with great pine forests, where the cool
breezes blow, and where spicy odors will refresh us.
I wish you might see us now, in an empty nipa

237

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

shack, our impedimenta strewn about the bamboo
floor; the doctor and his wife are stretched out on
blankets. I am on the floor, and Auria is sitting in
a rattan swing I made for her. You ought to see
Auria; she is growing fat every minute, and her
cheeks are already as pink as heart could wish. She
has a comical little air of dignity when she shakes
hands with the presidentes and provincial secre-
taries. She is a fine traveler, and finds everything
herrlich. The moment she awakes she is ready to
start out on her travels. Our treasurer, too, is de-
veloping beyond anyone's expectations. He is a
temperance man, and never drinks wine; but early
this morning he sent Auria to me with a half bottle
of cherries preserved in maraschino — " vino 36,'*
they call it here. He had taken a bath in the river,
and had bought the cherries to warm him, and keep
him from taking cold. He sent word that the
" juice tasted fine." The doctor and I sampled it,
and decided that it would kill all kinds of germs.
El Seiior is in great form, only he will not shave,
and looks like a brigand. This morning at the town-
hall he called a meeting of the principal citizens, and
lectured them on the subject of good roads in elo-
quent Spanish, and aroused so much enthusiasm
that they promised to rebuild all the bridges before
we returned from Benguet.

238

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Sablan, halfway to Baguio, April 8, 1902.

GLORIOUS! Splendid! Beautiful !'' Do you
remember the time-tables with their gay post-
ers in the railway stations at the foot of the Alps —
the gentleman with his red-hat scarf and the lady
with her Baedeker, both waving their handkerchiefs
toward the Swiss mountains and exclaiming, " Glor-
ious ! splendid ! beautiful ! ** ? We are all doing the
same thing. We plunged down an incline of forty-
five degrees at noon to-day into a little valley half-
way to Baguio. There is a rest camp here consist-
ing of one small straw thatched hut that just holds
three army cots, a shelter for horses, and an out-of-
door kitchen, with a stove made of sheet iron laid
on top of four stones. The doctor's wife and I are
writing at a table made of boxes, on which is a can
of butter, a package of cigarettes, a bolo, an Igor-
roto hat, the doctor's medical supplies, a bottle of
violet water, a spur, and a Spanish dictionary. Near
us are crouched two bronze-skinned Igorrotes, who
are eating rice and dainty pieces of dog. There are
horses and chickens wandering about, and Auria is
advising the cook about our supper of bacon, coffee,
and baked potatoes. We are having a glorious time.
I am ready to give up civilization. How much more
healthy and happy one would be riding over the
mountains amidst magnificent scenery, eating from
tin plates, and forgetting all about microbes, dust,
servants, and dinner parties. I have not thought of

239

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

a cholera germ since yesterday. Even the doctor's
wife has forgotten to ask if the plates are clean more
than twice during a meal. And how we do eat !

I must tell you about our trip yesterday. Na-
guilian is a small place, and the town was full of
smallpox, so we stayed in our nipa shacks nearly all
day excepting when we dined with the presidente
in the Tribunal. Tinned corn beef and beans had
palled on our appetites, and we decided to take the
risk of germs. The presidente looks to me like an
insurrecto of the worst kind, but he gave us a good
dinner and sent us our supper, so I shall suspend my
judgment till he proves himself a traitor. We read,
wrote, and slept during the afternoon, and had a
bit of excitement in seeing the Igorrotes come into
town. We had already caught our first view of this
much-talked-of people in the morning as we crossed
the river just before we reached Naguilian. There
were three men and a child bathing together in the
stream. As to the absence of clothes, Auria re-
marked very judiciously : " That's all right ; it's their
costumbre." The Igorrotes are taller and straighter
than the Tagalogs, and better formed. They walk
well, and hold up their heads; their chests are well
developed. They are darker than any of the native
races I have seen, but have no suggestion of the
negro in their faces. They carry heavy burdens in
a basket strapped over their arms, and held in place
by a leather band passing around the forehead. I

240

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

saw one small boy whose forehead was flattened, I
might almost say depressed, where the band had
pressed against the skull.

During the afternoon our carriers arrived in
squads, and we furnished them as much entertain-
ment and of the same kind as they did us. It was
eight o'clock before the last band arrived carrying
torches of fat pine. They slept on the ground
wrapped in their blankets. We decided to go to bed
early, too, and lay down on the bamboo floor, each
one vainly seeking a soft place. The three thousand
dollars we carried was piled in a corner. There was
no door to our shack, and we were all more or less
excited. It seemed as if it would be easy for in-
surrectos to come in and bolo us all. Just as we
were quieting down, a band began the plaintive
strains of " Just One Girl." This serenade kept up
for some time. Then came a series of dog fights,
horse stampedes, Igorrote powwows, the squealing
of pigs, and the butting of goats until we were all
wide awake. When the noises outside ceased, and
we hoped for a little rest, the comer of my mosquito
net fell down in my face, and a cat crawled into the
room. Every time anyone turned over, the whole
house creaked and moaned. We had arranged to
leave at four o'clock in the morning, but we were
all so exhausted that we slept till half-past five ; then
we were delayed waiting for horses, and finally
started at half-past six. We traveled in a proces-

241

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

sion, I leading the cavalcade in a chair. My four
Igorrote bearers were short, stocky, well-built men
with stiff hair standing straight out from their
heads. They did not look stupid, and their eyes
were bright and mild. I at once felt more confidence
in them than in Tagalogs of the same class. Our
guide was a hospital corps man; he was a good-
natured fellow, and knew how to manage the Igor-
rotes. I can never describe the sights and the de-
lights of our climb. Toward noon we dipped down
into this valley of Sablan, and decided to rest here
till to-morrow. The bacon and eggs are ready, and
the cook has made hot biscuits baked in a frying pan,
so hasta la vista.

GOVBRNMBNT SANITARIUM,

Baguio, April lo, 1902.

YESTERDAY we came up the trail from Sablan,
the halfway camp, where I wrote my last letter,
to Baguio, our destination. I wonder if you have
formed any idea of our journey from my disjointed
pages written in camp or at the houses of presi-
dentes while everyone was talking, and it was im-
possible to think consecutively. The trail from
Naguilian to Baguio is thirty-five miles. Of this
distance, we made fifteen miles the first day and
twenty the second. Strange to say, our party was
not so much worn out after the second day's ride
as after the first, although the distance was greater

242

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

and the trail much steeper. The views in all direc-
tions were far-reaching and beautiful. I remember
one place where the pathway, framed in an oval of
two giant trees, seemed to fling itself out into space ;
beyond it in the distance a mountainside lay in the
transparent blue atmosphere covered from base to
summit with magnificent tree ferns, broad stretches
of bamboo, and immense tropical trees. Behind us
we caught views of the distant sea over ranges of
hills. Once we rode along the backbone of a moun-
tain where the trail was not more than twenty inches
or two feet wide, with a precipitous descent of a
thousand feet on either side.

It would have been impossible for us to ride over
this place had it not been for the tall grass that grew
interlaced with tree ferns and bamboos, closing in
the dizzy fall. One must keep his pony to the
trail, for in one place we passed to-day Danny lost
his horse last year. He was leading the animal,
when it suddenly took a false step and disappeared
down the canon. In some places the descent was so
precipitous that the horses slid down on their
haunches; again, the ascent was so steep that we
held on to the horse's mane to keep from sliding
backward. Auria showed nowhere the slightest
hesitation. She was a pretty sight in a broad-
brimmed white hat and blue dress, her face all smiles
as she turned back to wave us good-by, when she
and her father started to lead the cavalcade up a

243

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

steep hill trail. The trail from Naguilian lay in the
heat and sun, but from Sablan we went up through
shady canons, where immense pink and purple
orchids hung from the trees, and wild begonias,
ferns, and new plants in endless variety kept us con-
stantly exclaiming at their beauty. In many places
a violet flower like a cluster of feathery balls cov-
ered the roadside, and a berry like the thimble berry
overhung the path. I might go on describing what
we saw for pages, and fail to give you an idea of
the besauty and luxuriance of the foliage. We
crossed many mountain streams, and drank from
numberless springs without a thought of cholera.
We sang, laughed, and shouted, while our Igorrotes
gazed at us in wonder. About noon we saw the
first pine, and under it grew a great tree fern. My
botanical ideas have been all turned topsy-turvy. I
have seen tree ferns growing in the rotunda of a
conservatory, and expected to find them in the
swamps of the coast land. Here they flourish in
places where only pines and grass will grow. The
story of the coolness of the province has not been
exaggerated. It is cooler than the Santa Cruz
mountains to-day, and April is the hottest month of
the year.

The hospital has been built on the side of a hill.
There are pine groves behind it, and in front and
below is a marshy hollow ; opposite, a broad upland
rises, on which are built the two or three shacks

244

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

forming the town of Bagnio. The view from the
sanitarium windows reminds me of a deserted min-
ing camp in California, for the soil is red, and it is
all seamed and scarred where the roadways have
been cut in the hillside. It is a pity that the main
buildings of the sanitarium are built here. There
are so many beautiful places elsewhere for building
sites. The government cottages will be placed be-
hind the main sanitarium on a hill in the pines.

Baguio, April 12, 1902.

IT seems as if we had always lived in Baguio ; we
have settled down to life here in the most sur-
prising way. The sanitarium contains three bed-
rooms and a living room. There is one big room
downstairs, where the men sleep, screened off from
one another by sheets. We have hospital beds and
mattresses, and nice soft new blankets. The rest
of the furniture is made of boxes, and in the dining
room are chairs and a table. Our sideboard is lit-
erally a side board. On the porch are rocking
chairs and willow steamer chairs. The household
consists of six grown-up persons, three children, a
hospital steward, a corps man, and Morris, the
guide, who is called the King of the Igorrotes, he
knows so well how to manage them. We have an
Ilocano cook and assistant, and three little Igorrote
boys, who are the " cutest " little things you ever
saw. They are learning to sweep and wait on the

245

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

table, make beds, and clean house. They are
anxious to learn, and really work. They are very
sensitive, and when scolded they run away. Around
the house they wear short white coats that do not
cover their bare legs. . When they wish to be very
fine they put on trousers. On ordinary occasions
they take all their clothes off, and go about in their
" gee strings." Their eyes are soft and bright, and
their eager little faces are very attractive. We have
a good plain table, although almost everything is
canned except the eggs, bacon, codfish, and sweet
potatoes. The Benguet coffee is delicious. The
doctor's wife and I made cake last night and coffee
this morning.

There are several Americans in Baguio besides
our immediate household. The governor of Ben-
guet is the most conspicuous character, and an inte-
resting man. He is tall and thin, with a square chin
and jaw. Every feature is exaggerated; his nose,
eyes, and mouth are all of a pronounced type. He is
devoted to the Igorrotes, and has gained their re-
spect and affection. They will do anything he sug-
gests, and bring to him such disputes as they them-
selves cannot settle. This does not happen often,
for they have the custom of settling their disputes
among themselves. As a rule the decisions are just
and satisfactory to all parties, and they abide by
them. There is an interesting story of a decision
made by an Igorrote who had never heard of Solo-

246

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

mon. Two of his neighbors came to him, each
claiming a dog which they brought with them.
There seemed to be as much right on one side as on
the other, so the judge killed the dog, divided it and
gave half to each, and they went off perfectly sat-
isfied.

The Igorrote houses are poor huts, mere sleeping
holes, although there are three or four men in
Baguio who have better houses. The principal
crops raised by the natives are coffee and sweet and
white potatoes. The women cultivate the fields,
ajUd all the inhabitants except those of the wealthiest
families work in the fields and carry heavy burdens
from childhood. Very small boys, twelve years old,
carry fifty pounds up the trail on their backs. We
met old women and girls toiling up the steep moun-
tain paths with heavy baskets of potatoes on their
backs. They carry a curious musical instrument of
bamboo, something like a jew's-harp, which they hit
with their hands as they walk along. The women
wear more clothes than the men, and are on that
account much dirtier. With their unkempt straight
hair hanging over their eyes, and their filthy rags,
they are not a pleasant sight. The children wear
no clothes. The Igorrotes suffer at night from the
cold. On the trail they generally build a fire to
warm themselves. One reason the little boys like
to live at the sanitarium is because they keep warm,
and have heavy coats to wear at night. It is not

247

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

impossible to train the little Igorrotes to cleanliness
and toleration of baths. It is the boast of a school-
teacher here that she has succeeded in this, and that
they take their baths every day, vieing with each
other for the honor of heating the water. One little
boy who had made himself a coat (she has taught
them to sew) would not take it home; he said his
house would dirty it. The Igorrotes are grateful to
those who have befriended them, and if a " good
American " is ill they will bring him eggs and chick-
ens as gifts, and refuse to take money in return.
When we meet them on the trail they always say
" Good morning," and smile. We have no doors to
our house, and everjrthing is wide open, yet no one
has the least fear. There are about fifteen hundred
Igorrotes in this province, and they do not increase
rapidly. They have many strange customs, but no
one has investigated them. At night before wrap-
ping themselves in their blankets they go through a
performance like an incantation. It suggests gym-
nastic exercises accompanied by howls. During the
night they often awake us by a weird prolonged
cry. It seems to be an articulated sound like a word.
They told me it frightened the devils. It would be
interesting to learn their langtiage, and find out
what they believe. They are tenacious of their cus-
toms and traditions, and are the only large tribe
beside the Moros who have persistently refused
to allow the friars to convert them. There are

248

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

only three families in the province who are Cath-
olics.

Baguio, April 14, 1902.

YESTERDAY we went on a picnic to the Army
Mill, about two miles and a half down the new
road; all went on horseback. I have a very good
pony now, quite large and strong. On these moun-
tain trails one needs nerve, but the ponies are so
small and sure-footed that there is practically no
danger, although the narrow pathways seem fearful
as one looks up and down them. We carried some
of our luncheon in saddle bags, and little Kit Kat,
our favorite Igorrote, carried the rest in a big bis-
cuit can balanced on his head. From the meadow,
where we left our horses, we slid and scrambled into
the creek bed. Kit Kat, who cannot be more than
eight years old, walked down the steep bank with
the tin on his head and a pair of saddle bags on his
shoulders as if he were going downstairs. After
many slips and tumbles we reached the bed of the
stream, which runs between narrow banks overhung
with a luxuriant growth of ferns, orchids, and
climbing plants. A water wheel built for a pros-
pective sawmill was a picturesque feature of the
scene, and the water, although but a little stream at
present, must be of considerable volume in the
rainy season. The canon is full of boulders, and
anyone but an Igorrote needs to proceed with care.

249

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Kit Kat looked like a monkey, and walked up and
down the trees like a cat. After a scramble of some
ten minutes we found ourselves in a beautiful spot
overhung by tree ferns, where we made a fire,
heated our beans, and boiled the coffee.

Baguio, April 15, 1902.

THERE IS never the same outlook twice from the
veranda at Baguio, for the atmosphere of the
morning is not that of noon, nor the noon that of
evening. The shadows change with every hour, and
fleecy clouds pile up like snow mountains above the
dark pine-covered slopes. We take a new trail
every day, and yesterday morning we explored a
neighboring hill. On reaching the summit we
seemed to come to the end of our world, and look
down and off on strange countries. We were so
high that the clouds on the opposite mountains
seemed to float beneath us, and far below in the val-
ley were green rice fields glittering in the sunshine.
Cliflfs of a dark rugged rock, piled up like broken
columns, formed the precipitous walls of the valley.
We camped under the pines all day. There is a
great deal of rolling country about Baguio. The
steep trails usually lead to stretches of upland where
pine needles make a soft carpet under the trees.
There are glorious views from the new Benguet-
Manila road, and I am constantly reminded by them
of Japanese prints. There are not many birds in the

250

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

forests, but they have beautiful notes, and one espe-
cially sings a little melody of five notes that is won-
derfully sweet. There are few wild animals, for
there is little underbrush. The Igorrotes burn off
the mountainside every year that they may have
grass for their cattle. There is no doubt that all
sorts of vegetables and fruits of the temperate zone
might be raised in this province.

Yesterday Mateo Carino, the father of the presi-
dente of Baguio, gave what the Igorrotes call a
tiyow. For a day or so we had noticed considerable
excitement at the Presidencia, An arbor and a large
square pen of strong bamboo poles had been erected
in the front yard. Day before yesterday we received
an invitation to attend the feast, written in the flow-
ing hand of the governor's secretary. Yesterday at
six o'clock in the morning the presidente himself
called, and begged us to come early to the celebra-
tion, as he wished us to see all the rites (ritos).
Before receiving the presidente's personal invitation,
warned by previous experience, we had decided to
go over in time for dinner and return early, but the
word *'ritos" seemed to indicate something more
than a ball, so we started about nine o'clock, and
after a short walk reached the Presidencia, Mateo
Gariiio is one of the richest, and was formerly one
of the most powerful, Igorrote chiefs in the prov-
ince. He is also one of the most conservative
natives in Benguet. He has said on several occa-
17 251

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

sidns that this would probably be the last, as well
as the most elaborate and costly, tiyow he would
give during his lifetime. Although not an old man
in appearance, he talks as if he could not live much
longer, and he evidently prefers to enjoy his own
tiyow in the flesh rather than await the time when
he will sit in state, wrapped in his burial blanket, a
stiff and sightless guest at his own " wake," if one
may borrow the expression.

It is a custom among the Igorrotes when a man
dies to divide all his eatable property ; one half goes
to the family, and the other half belongs to the com-
munity. After the customary rites and ceremonies,
the dead man, wrapped in his burial blanket, is
placed in a hammock and hoisted to the ceiling of
his kitchen. The pueblo then assemble to kill and
eat until half the live stock, half the rice, camotes
(sweet potatoes), and tapoi (rice wine) have been
devoured, and the dead man is supposed to enjoy
the tiyow from his smoky perch. But Mateo Carino
wisely prefers to enjoy his tiyow during his lifetime,
and has invited all the inhabitants of this pueblo to
his house, where they are to devour half his sub-
stance during the next three days. We walked to
his compound, and entered the inclosure through a
hole in the mud wall. We were met by Mateo and
his son, the presidente of Baguio, who welcomed us
to the tiyow with much formality.

Mateo's wooden house was low; the roof was
252

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

thatched with grass bleached by time to a soft dark
gray. The main building and a small ell were raised
some ten feet above the ground. The upper floor
of the house contained one large irregularly shaped
room, where we were entertained, and a smaller
space screened off as a bedroom, for the parents of
the family. The ell contained one room, which
served as a storeroom and a kitchen. The furniture
consisted of bamboo beds, a few willow chairs, a
rough table, and one wardrobe. The space under the
house was used as a storeroom for rice and camotes,
a stable for horses, and a sleeping place for the re-
tainers of the family. Mateo Carifio has a large
family of sons and daughters. One or two of the
daughters are married. His son, the presidente,
was dressed in a white suit, hat, and shoes, the in-
signia of his office. This official garb is not the
least of the trials which accompany the honor of
being a presidente: The office carries with it not
only a burden of responsibility, but of expense, for
every presidente must give a number of feasts dur-
ing his term of office, costing several hundred pesos.
The office sometimes ruins the man financially, and
he is therefore not obliged to serve more than two
terms. When he returns to private life he passes
the coat and trousers, hat and shoes, as symbols of
his office, to the next incumbent, and joyfully re-
turns to a " gee string " ; on public occasions, how-
ever, he may don a shirt. During the day we

253

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

saw one fat and jolly ex-presidente in a " gee
string '* sitting in the middle of a heap of bloody
pig entrails, chopping up chunks of pork with the
abandon of one who no longer has any dignity to
maintain.

Mateo presented to us his wife and daughters,
distinguished from the other women present by
their clean and handsome dresses, new turbans, and
many necklaces. The Igorrote women are not hand-
some, and only the children and a few young girls
have attractive faces. The majority of them are
ugly, and the old women are hideous. They have
coarse, straight, and unkempt hair; their eyes are
small and their noses are flat; they have thick lips
and black teeth. Their figures are thickset, and
their legs well developed. All Igorrote men and
women are erect, and walk well. The woman's
dress consists of three horizontally striped cotton
skirts worn one above the other. The favorite col-
ors are black, blue, red, and white, and the stripes
vary in width. A loose jacket of the same striped
material is worn open in front and tucked in loosely
at the belt, so that the brown skin is not concealed.
All the women wear chains of beads, berries, or
coins. Mateo's wife wore a curious antique golden
rosary of beautifully carved beads. Both women
and men wear turbans made of bath towels, knit
woolen shawls, or of cotton or woolen cloth. This
is, of course, a gala dress ; rags form the everyday

254

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

garments of the women, as the " gee string " is the
common garb of the men.

The inhabitants of the different pueblos came in
companies to the tiyow on foot or on horseback.
After greeting their host they sat down in groups
on the ground and chatted together, while the
women passed them tapoi, or rice wine. A wise
guest never takes more than a swallow of tapoi from
the cocoanut bowl, which, like a loving cup, is
passed from mouth to mouth, for a full draught
would incapacitate the drinker very soon. By this
moderate but continuous sipping of tapoi an Igor-
rote can keep on his feet for two or three days.
There were only a few women and children among
the guests, but it is the custom to send pieces of
meat, strung on rattan, to those who stay at home.
An arbor built of bamboo poles covered with fern
was reserved for us as the most honored guests.
Near it, hanging over big fires, were four large
copper kettles in which camotes, or sweet potatoes,
were cooking. Naked boys and half-grown girls
attended to the cooking. In the shade of a tree were
tethered a carabao and ^ calf ready for the slaughter.
A cow had already been sacrificed, and a famous
cook from a distant town was preparing a dinner
for us in Spanish style. We also saw several dogs
reserved as choice tidbits to be eaten later. Finally,
we were shown the crowning glory of the feast, the
pride of old Mateo's heart, twelve iat hogs, which

255

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

were to be sacrificed and eaten in accordance with
the rites and ceremonies of the good old Igorrote
times.

There are few chiefs in these degenerate days
who dare perform the ancient rites in the presence
of the foreigner, and even Mateo did not celebrate
them in the open air, as was the custom in the old
days, but upstairs in the dark, smoke-blackened
kitchen. As a crowd of men and small boys had
swarmed on the bamboo fence, each pushing and
straining to get a point of view from which to see
the sacrificial offering, we concluded to go upstairs
to a window overlooking the inclosure. On our way
we stopped to examine the drums which four old
men had been beating steadily since daylight, and
to watch the curious dance which is kept up almost
continuously day and night during these festivals.
The drums were hollow cylindrical instruments
about three feet long. They were eight or ten
inches in diameter at the upper end, and somewhat
smaller at the bottom. The ends were covered with
skin fastened in a net. The old men beat the drums
with their fingers, while others pounded on brass
pans with the tusks of wild hogs. The sounds were
monotonous, but rhythmical, and the dance resem-
bled the children's game of Follow the Leader.
The participants shoved themselves about one after
the other in an irregular figure, never moving their
feet from the ground, and humping themselves up

256

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

and down in a curiously ungraceful manner. One
woman took part in each dance ; she held her open
hands against her breast, with the palms outward,
her motions resembling a muscle dance. These
dances were performed at intervals during four
days and nights.

When we finally mounted the ladder leading to
the reception room, and had tasted the sour, yeast-
like tapoi, a shrill squeal and a chorus of grunts
called us to the window, and looking down we saw
a square pen containing twelve great hogs. The
prize animal, a huge creature weighing at least four
hundred pounds, was valued at seventy-five dollars.
This great fellow had long sharp tusks, which were
not wholly harmless, as more than one Igorrote's
bloody leg or thigh bore witness. In the arena, for
certainly the show might in some sense be compared
to a bull fight, were a number of naked athletes.
These lusty fellows had been selected to catch and
tie the hogs. They took their proper places, a par-
ticular hog being assigned to each one. The scene
was grotesque in the extreme. A crowd of eager
bronze figures surrounded the pen, dressed, or
rather undressed, in brilliant red-and-blue turbans,
and within the inclosure the finely built young Igor-
rotes assumed attitudes of studied grace as they pre-
pared to lasso the hind leg of a slippery pig, or to
throw themselves upon it and, more frequently than
not, roll over and over with it in the mire. Not a

257

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

few of the animals showed fight, and more than one
man received a rip from the sharp tusk of an angry
hog. The men were quite half an hour struggling
to secure them, but finally the last hog was thrown,
his feet tied together, and a beating of drums and
mournful howls from the kitchen announced the be-
ginning of the mysterious rites.

Just what these rites signify no one seems to
know. Mateo called them his family ceremonies.
An Ilocano gentleman, who informed me that he
intended writing a book about them, said they were
religious in character. After watching them closely,
and asking the meaning of each separate perform-
ance, I came to the conclusion that they were charms
or spells for bringing good luck and warding off
evil. The presidente volunteered the information
that the Igorrotes have no saints, that they pray to
the sun and moon. It is impossible to find out what
they really believe, for one must first speak their
language and gain their confidence, and even then
they are extremely reticent.

A high priestess had charge of the performance
in the kitchen, and the wife of Mateo and one of
her sons, a boy of about ten, were the only members
of the family who participated in the rites. The
kitchen in which they were performed was a small,
dark, smoke-blackened room with low ceiling. In
one corner was a square wooden table, plastered
with mud, on which the Igorrote builds his kitchen

258

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

fire. This and a wooden bench comprised the fur-
niture. Four large burial blankets hung on a line
across, one side of the room. Two drummers sat on
the bench, and beat drums continuously during the
three hours the ceremonies lasted. Four tapoi jars
stood on the floor, and beside them sat an old
woman who acted the part of assistant to the priest-
ess, who was black, wrinkled, and hideously ugly.
Her hands, wrists, and arms were tattooed in an
elaborate manner. She wore the usual Igorrote
woman's dress, and her head was bound about with
a scarlet cloth. Over her shoulders she wore a blu-
ish-purple mantle striped with dark red, completely
covering her. One long narrow end hung over her
shoulder, and fell down her back. The other occu-
pants of the room were half-a-dozen old women.
Mateo's wife and son were crouched down in a cor-
ner, and participated passively in the rites. On the
floor in front of them was a round flat basket con-
taining three knives and two small cocoanut-shell
cups. It would be impossible, as well as tiresome,
to recount in detail all the performances of the old
priestess. In every rite the tapoi played an im-
portant part. It was taken from the large earthen-
ware jars by the assistant priestess, who plunged her
dirty tattooed hands into the wine and half scooped,
half strained it into a large cocoanut bowj ; the high
priestess then poured it into two smaller cups, which
were apparently consecrated by the dipping in of

259

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

fingers and passing of hands accompanied by strange
guttural sounds. Mateo's wife and son were then
anointed with the tapoi on both cheeks, and the
burial robes were then sprinkled with some of the
same liquid. At intervals the old women performed
a slow jerky dance, holding the tapoi cup aloft be-
fore a spear and a blanket containing three bolos.
Then a white cloth mantle was laid folded in a
basket ; and beside it were placed two potatoes and
a cup of tapoi. After an interminable dance the
potato was placed in Mateo's son's mouth, and the
mantle laid carefully in the lap of his wife, who
searched in the folds of the mantle, where she dis-
covered several grains of gold, and placed them in
a bag. During the first hour the priestess and her
audience accompanied the ceremonies with a solemn
monotonous chant; but, as frequent cups of tapoi
were drunk, the voices of the musicians gradually
joined themselves to their drums, and now and then
a yell or howl was indulged in by the company in
unison.

During this indoor performance the pigs lay on
the ground outside, covered with green boughs to
keep off the sun, their feet bound with bejuco, the
rattan substitute for rope. As the time drew near
for the sacrifice, Mateo's wife was led from the
kitchen down the steps to where the hogs lay. Close
to the house a large stone had been placed, and cov-
ered with green leaves ; on either side two bows and

260

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

arrows made of green bamboo were planted upright
in the sand, and a bowl of tapoi stood in front of
them. The woman was led by the priestess to the
stone ; she sat down ; the bowl of tapoi was placed
in her lap, and a white mantle was laid over her.
She sat motionless while the priestess seized the
spear, already consecrated in the ceremonies upstairs,
and a flat basket, which she held as if it were a
shield. With these she performed a solemn war
dance around the prostrate pigs. She then returned
to Mateo's wife, raised a corner of her mantle, and
carefully examined the bowl of tapoi. Mrs. Mateo at
this point escaped from the mantle, leaving the bowl
in the priestess's hands, and went off looking much
relieved after her two hours' struggle for luck.

The rites ended by the priestess pulling up the
bows and arrows, and waving them slowly over the
hogs. Then she cut a bunch of bristles from the
side of each prostrate victim to indicate where the
sacrificial knife should strike, and that was the last
T saw, for a bronze athlete sprang forward with a
glittering bolo and a sharp stick, and I fled. For a
time pandemonium reigned. I never heard such hor-
rible sounds. The air was rent with the shrieks and
squeals of the hogs. The sounds were appallingly
human. The doctor, who is a man of nerve, de-
scribed the modus operandi of killing the animal, the
object being to keep the blood inside the body. A
piece of flesh is cut off the living creature just over

261

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

the heart, back of the shoulder ; then a sharp bamboo
stick is thrust into the breast between the ribs and
jabbed about until the heart is pierced, when the
animal, of course, dies, but not before he has filled
the air with the most blood-curdling sounds. As
there was no way of escape we had to stay and hear,
if not see, the poor creature slaughtered, and then
we were invited to view the remains. As soon as
a hog was killed, he was carried on poles to a fire
and well singed. Around the fires small boys squat-
ted, roasting pig tails and munching the dainty bits
with evident relish.

While the hogs were being skinned and scraped,
we ate our dinner in the arbor. It was so arranged
that all I had to do was to raise my eyes to see the
bloody pile of pork being cut into chunks on a great
green bed of leaves. We had full view of the bap-
tism of the smallest Igorrote baby, a child not more
than two months old, who was dipped into the prize
hog's body, which contained enough blood to cover
him all but his head. This baptism was a custom in
Mateo's family, and made the child an heir of the
family property. The dinner was good, but some-
how our appetites were not up to the usual pitch.
We were entertained by a musician who played on
a bamboo flute, accompanied by a man with a bass
drum who used his fists on his instrument, and there
was dancing for our amusement. Our dinner con-
sisted of rice cooked with chicken and peas, very

262

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

good chops, and sweet potatoes. Two custards
composed our dessert; one bore the inscription
M^o, the other C»o, which, after many guesses, was
foimd to mean Mateo Carifio. After deHcious Ben-
guet coffee, we were informed there were to be some
more performances in the kitchen, and we went up-
stairs. As we passed the place where the hogs had
been slaughtered we turned in disgust from a sight
so Uoody and barbarous. On a bed of bamboo
shoots sat a dozen naked Igorrotes, among whom
we recognized our friend, the ex-presidente Antonio.
Most of the animals had been disemboweled, and
the entrails lay about in bloody heaps; The blood
had collected in the empty carcasses, and was being
dipped out into earthen jars for sausage. It was
in one of these carcasses that the baby had been bap-
tized. Some of the men were cutting huge chunks
of meat off the carcasses, which they threw to oth-
ers who sat on the ground, holding a bolo upright
between their toes, slicing the larger pieces into
smaller bits. These pieces were strung on strips of
bamboo, and given as souvenirs to the departing
guests. The manipulation of the bolo man was
clever, for he cut toward him as the Japanese do,
and it must require immense strength to hold a large
knife upright between the toes. At the foot of the
kitchen ladder stood the priestess, anointing the
cheeks of every member of the family with the
blood.

263

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

The ceremonies upstairs were curious, but unin-
telligible. A side of hog hung in the kitchen, and
the priestess and women had prepared bits of meat
with chipped greens. These were used in the rites,
as the tapoi had been in the morning. They were
put in pans, and with signs and incantations they
were placed on the heads of Mateo's wife and sons.
They were raised and lowered before the carcass on
the wall, and manipulated in a dozen ways. Every
detail of these rites is prescribed according to im-
memorial custom. Once the priestess handed a wisp
of broom, which she had waved in front of the
meat, over the tapoi, and above Mateo's wife's head,
to a man standing near her. He started to place it
in the wall above the stove. Thereupon a yell arose
from the musicians, and with every manifestation of
anger the priestess sprang at him, snatched the wisp
from his hand with a howl, and placed it over the
window. The priestess, her attendant, and the mu-
sicians became more and more noisy, and the cere-
monies more weird. The dark room, the bloody
hog, the priestess no longer covered by her long
robe, but with skirts girded high, barelegged and
red-handed, danced and yelled, the members of the
Mateo family with marks of blood on either cheek,
and the excited musicians, all formed a picture that
for downright savagery could not be surpassed.
The final ceremony was performed on the mother
and her sons, and repeated with the daughters.

264

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

They sat in a single file, the mother first, and her
sons according to age in front of her. The hands
of each rested on the shoulders of the next in front,
and their knees were on a level with their shoul-
ders. The priestess advanced, bent over, kissed the
mother on her forehead, raised her face toward the
ceiling, and spat in the air. This she did in turn to
each one. She then touched the right knee of each
in turn with her foot, and then the left. Finally
she pulled out the thumb and fingers of the left
hands of all the party, and then the right, as if she
were massaging them. Between these perform-
ances they all danced, and the musicians howled.
When it was all over, the boys scattered with howls
of joy.

By this time all the native guests had eaten the
half-cooked pork, and had taken enough tapoi to
make them drunk in their " legs, but not in their
heads," as one said. When we started for home
there were many drunk in both head and legs, but
Mateo and his family were able to shake hands and
say "good-by." To-day we still hear the " tum
tum " of the drums from over the valley, which
have scarcely ceased since yesterday morning. Re-
ports have come in to-night that Mateo and the
three principal chiefs were no longer able to move,
but were lying unconscious on the table under the
green arbor. The calf, carabao, and cow, and even
the dogs have all been eaten, and as we ride over

265

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

the trails we meet men and women carrying home
long strings of pork or beef and baskets of boiled
camotes. Our share of the spoils was a ham from
the prize four-hundred-pound hog, and it tasted
good in spite of our memories, for a piece of fresh
meat is a luxury at present in Benguet.

Baguio, April 28, 1902.

IT is Monday again, and a week since I have writ-
ten you. I find I must spin out my tale very fine
if I write oftener than once a week. We have spent
most of our time in the saddle, and have explored
the country for miles around. This morning the
doctor's wife and I did a good-sized washing. Our
Igorrote washwoman, on account of the recent
tiyoWy I suspect, has been mucho malo ever since.
She sits crouched over a fire, her head tied up in a
towel, and refuses to understand any language.
Clothes brought and laid at her feet, big shiny dol-
lars held up before her, have awakened no sign of
intelligence in her dirty black face; so, having but
one riding habit apiece, necessity compelled us to
wash it, for we felt hardly respectable in a garment
in which we live from one week's end to the other.
Early this morning we set our Igorrote boys to
build a fire on the hillside below the house, and put
on a washboiler of water to heat. When we began
operations with an American washboard in a big
dish pan, a large crowd of spectators gathered, both

266

, Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

white and brown. The Igorrotes gazed at us with
open-mouthed astonishment, the men with com-
placency. It is an instinct of the aboriginal man
to be pleased when he sees women working like
slaves. So the doctor and el Senor stood about,
congratulating us and encouraging us to keep on
with the good work. We were determined to show
them we could do it^, and after a somewhat strenu-
ous morning had the satisfaction of hanging out a
neat little line of clothes. We did not omit point-
ing the finger of scorn toward the hut where our
washwoman sulked, saying " Mala, Mala ! " to all
the Igorrote men who passed by, that they might
see the reason for our extraordinary performances.
We decided not to iron our wash, but have pulled
it out, and find it quite as smooth as it is usually
returned to us by the ancient female, who began to
show signs of life when she saw the clothes dried
and taken into the house.

Baguio, April 29, 1902.

TO-DAY we rode over to Mrs. King's school,
one of the sights of Benguet province. Mrs.
King is the wife of a miner who is " sitting on a
claim waiting for a mining law," as they say out
here. We understand that he is a man of means,
who made his pile in the Klondike, and has come
to the Philippines because he can't resist the fas-
cination of hunting for gold. Prospectors who have
18 267

Digitized byVjOOQlC

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

stopped at the sanitarium to rest have reported that
he has a good claim. It is at the bottom of a steep
creviceHke canon, so far down in the earth that
it will be difficult to get the gold out even if he
finds it.

The Ridge, as the Kings call the site of their camp,
is four miles from the sanitarium, down one of the
steepest trails we have yet attempted. As there had
been a storm during the night, accompanied by hail,
thunder, and lightning, the mud was deep in the
shade, and we were obliged to dismount at times
and toil through the sticky soil, pulling our stubborn
ponies behind us. In one spot a thunderbolt had
struck a pine tree and chiseled out a spiral of bark
from the top to the bottom as neatly as if done by
a machine. The miners say the lightning always
strikes in that particular spot because of the pres-
ence of iron ore. Our journey was uneventful but
for a meeting on a narrow trail with a herd of fine
little cows and calves belonging to Mateo Cariiio.
This caused a halt, and a council of war among the
women of the party, one of whom had on a red
waist. It was finally decided that, as the doctor, in
case of a charge from the cattle, would devote all
his attention to rescuing his wife, the rest of us
would better make a detour, leaving the road to
Mateo's cows. This was accomplished safely, the
doctor's wife joining us in spite of her confidence
in "Jerry," who boldly charged the little beasts,

268

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

while his wife looked on with admiration not un-
mixed with anxiety.

The views were splendid. The soil of this region
is bright red, and the outcropping rocks are brill-
iantly colored. The nearer views were dazzling
after the rain, and the distant ranges were toned in
all gradations of blue. From the King's ridge there
was an extensive outlook over many ranges of hills
as far as Mount Luzon, which is eight thousand feet
high. Before we could see the Kings' camp a shrill
piping sound came floating up the trail through the
trees. It had a vaguely familiar sound, and yet we
did not recognize the tune, which we later learned
was " Hail, Columbia." A few steps farther, and
we saw the American flag fluttering across the path-
way, and under it a log on which were seated a
dozen or more naked little Igorrotes, who were try-
ing to sing the new song, clapping their hands and
heels together as accompaniment.

King Camp at present consists of a two-roomed
shack built of woven bamboo, and a kitchen, which
is a roof supported on four poles. It shelters a
stove, a table, a slant-eyed celestial, and a canvas
storeroom.

Mrs. King keeps school out of doors ordinarily,
but there are two movable benches in her sitting
room, and a table covered with a black rubber
blanket which she usefs for a blackboard. The
walls are decorated with prints, a series of flags

269

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

of all nations, and a few charts for reading and
arithmetic.

The Igorrotes are clever basket makers, and the
house was furnished with many specimens of their
handiwork, utilized in an ingenious way. One big
sweet-potato basket served as a tea table, several
took the place of stools, while soap, newspapers,
combs and brushes, shoes and books, were held in
others of various sizes and shapes. The little bed-
room, a model of dainty neatness, is used by Mrs.
King as a jail for naughty little Igorrotes, who are
put there as a punishment. On the improvised
dressing table stood a tall bottle of violet water; a
few drops of this on their shirts is the highest re-
ward of merit to which the little fellows aspire, and
yet they have never been known to touch the bottle
when in jail and disgrace. These little savages be-
gan school five months ago. At that time not one
of them had ever been washed as far as was known.
They were covered with a crust of dirt that only
came off after repeated washing. Their " gee
strings," the native dress — 2l piece of cloth or bark
which passes around the waist is brought between
the legs up to the waist again in front and falls
down in a short end — ^were indescribably dirty. As
to their heads, Mrs. King did not go into particu-
lars. They came to school absolutely ignorant not
only of the simplest elements of knowledge — ^that
was expected — but of everything connected with

270

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

civilized life. They did not know how to sit on
benches, they had never seen pencil or paper, a
piece of chalk, or a picture book. Mrs. King began
by taking them all over the camp, naming the differ-
ent articles of furniture. They learned these with
a rapidity that astonished their teacher. After she
had taught them a number of words, and had ac-
customed them to her presence, she began a bathing
crusade. She began by giving the smallest one a
warm bath, and making him a little cotton coat.
She also cleaned his head and combed his hair, and
then took him as her special pet, treating him to
food, and making the others understand she liked
him because he was clean. This soon had its effect,
and the others became candidates for a bath, until
she had her hands full, and had to send to Manila
for more brown soap. I never saw Igorrotes as
clean as these were, and it was wonderful to see
Mrs. King patting their heads and shoulders, taking
them on her lap, and fairly hugging one " cute "
little specimen. To this disposition is doubtless due
her success as a teacher.

After we had rested, school was called, and the
small boys donned their little white coats and sat
in two demure rows before us ready to " show off,"
just like children in a civilized country. In fact,
they were so eager one to outdo the other that they
could not sit still or wait for their turns, but chor-
used their replies to Mrs. King's questions. The

271

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

questions and answers were in English. Igorrote
words were given only to be translated into Eng-
lish. The rule was to call on each boy in turn, and
that no one should prompt another. In the excite-
ment this rule was so frequently transgressed that
at last Mrs. King stopped and said, " Boys, isn't it
bad to tell?" "Yes," they chorused, "all same
steal," and proceeded to do it again. The questions
and an§wers usually related to something practical.
" What is this? " " My arm." " What do you do
with your arms? " " I chop wood, I dig camotes,
I carry water." "What is this?" "My leg."
"What can you do with your legs? " " I run " —
then the little fellow ran—" I skip," " I dance," " I
hop," and at each answer he suited his action to the
words. This, the language part of the lesson, was
the most important, but they can spell and read
words of four letters, and they know the multiplica-
tion table through the " four times." When the
children first came to school they sat about at re-
cess not knowing what to do until Mrs. King
taught them ball and Prisoners' Base. One day a
boy saw a picture of a top in the reading book, and
read of spinning it. The next day he brought a
rough imitation of a top to school; this example
proving contagious, all the boys were soon carving
tops with their bolos. They have learned to spin
them very well. Their names are interesting:
Malamal, Ewill, Chemus, Paran. Their little faces

272

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

all beam with intelligence, and they are perfectly
obedient and docile. I have written at such length
because in America we think of the Igorrote as the
savage par excellence of the Philippines.

Baguio, April 30, 1902.

TO-DAY we rode over to the camp at the Ben-
guet end of the new Manila road. This road,
you remember, was planned as soon as the Commis-
sion came to Manila, and the survey was begun a
year ago last August. It is to be built between
Manila and Benguet, forming a juncture with the
railway at Dagupan. Almost everyone discouraged
the idea, and until recently skeptics were numerous
who did not believe that there was in the islands a
province where the weather was cool in the hot sea-
son. There have been many persons here lately,
and reports have been spread abroad generally of
the delightful climate, so that now no one contra-
dicts the fact that at an elevation of only four thou-
sand six hundred feet, and within the possibility of
a day's journey from Manila, is an extensive region
with a cool, temperate climate. From Dagupan to
this hill station is a distance of fifty-five miles. All
but fifteen miles of the road has been finished in
such shape as to be passable for wagons. The last
fifteen miles, however, present a difficult problem to
the road builders. In America or Europe it would
be a simple proposition, and the road could be fin-

273

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

ished in a few months. Here, however, the labor
problem, the lack of proper tools, and the scarcity
of skilled bosses make it slow work. It will be a
splendid driveway when finished. We went down
to the road camp to-day ; first, through the familiar
pine woods, and then, entering the valley of the
river, a glorious view opened before us. The color
is wonderful. There are no sweeping slopes of
green, but on all sides the crags and ridges are
tossed like breakers against the mountains. In the
afternoons, when clouds come sweeping up from
the west, piling up one on another, they produce
beautiful effects of light and shade. The road is
cut far up the mountainside. In many places the
drop to the bed of the river is over fifteen hundred
feet. With the foam lines clouding the green wa-
ter, the river looks like a vein of porphyry at the
bottom of the valley. In several places there have
been landslides, and in some places the side of the
mountain has fallen out. The slides are a menace
to the permanency of the road, for the whole moun-
tain seems to be made of broken rock and sand, and .
may slip away at any time. We found some miners
and road employees at the camp. They gave us
baked beans for lunch, and Igorrote baskets to carry
home as curios. We walked down a mile below the
camp, and saw the place where last week a man fell
fifteen hundred feet.

There are several miners " sitting on their
274

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

claims " near the camp. At intervals all along the
road we saw little tunnels dug into the rock three
or four feet deep, and as high as a man's head.
These " show intention," as the miners told us. The
rock contains iron pyrites, quartz crystals, and cop-
per ore. There were some galena specimens, silver
ore they called it, very pretty. Our trip back was
uneventful, and we were not tired, although we had
ridden sixteen miles, and most of it on a narrow
trail.

Baguio, May a, 1902.

WE assisted this morning at the thatching of the
provincial hospital, which the governor is
building in the woods just below his house. The
structure cost one hundred dollars gold, and is a
good-sized building made of pine framework, woven
bamboo walls, and grass-thatched roof. For a week
or more Igorrotes of all ages, carrying great bunches
of the thatch on their heads, have been trotting up
and down the trails at a gait that over this rough
country will soon distance a good horse. Often
twenty or more Igorrotes coming down the moun-
tainside together would be quite hidden by the
grass on their heads. The grass having been gath-
ered, the day of thatching was announced, and a
fiesta planned. Over one hundred Igorrotes were
on the spot when we arrived. Some were tying the
bunches of thatch to the rafters with rattan; others,

^7^

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

shining like bronze in the hot sun, stood balancing
themselves on the roof in the most graceful postures,
catching the thatch as it flew through the air like
arrows from below, where others were tossing it
up, bunch after bunch, with lightninglike rapidity.
You cannot imagine anything more animated or pic-
turesque than these men and boys. The thatch was
a beautiful soft yellow, and there was a spicy
fragrance in the air. We sat on the grass for an
hour or more watching them. Later in the day the
workers were treated to a feast of roast pig washed
down with tapoi. To see them eat is quite an ex-
perience, though not as picturesque as the thatching.

Baguio, May 4, 1902.

YESTERDAY we went on a picnic to Trinidad.
We decided to start early, and were ready by
seven o'clock. Then came the usual and tiresome
delays. First, the presidente did not want to rent
his horses, and we had to send for them three times.
When we had finally secured three, a train of pa-
tients came up the trail with cut fingers, broken
bones, and vaccination sores. A picturesque woman
with a yellow handkerchief around her head came
with the others. She had been suffering from
fever, and had lost her hair. She would not take
off the handkerchief, as she was ashamed. A small
baby was of the number, with an awful-looking
head. These were, one and all, treated, and finally,

276

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

after an hour, we started. We trotted for half an
hour over a beautiful road, through a well-watered,
rice-growing country; then we passed through a
narrow gorge opening into a plain entirely sur-
rounded by mountains. The doctor and I, who take
an ignorant interest in geology, concluded that the
Trinidad plain was once a lake, and that during
some primeval upheaval the water burst through the
mountains, and the plain was drained. There are
immense boulders in the stream as it enters the val-
ley, and even greater ones at the lower side where
it flows out. Our plan was to visit the gorge where
the great boulders were, and picnic there. We had
to use much diplomacy to avoid hurting the feelings
of the presidente, the head of the constabulary, and
the school-teacher, who wanted us to take luncheon
with them. The doctor's wife did her best, and we
succeeded in getting away without wasting more
than half an hour in palaver. The canon was more
beautiful than had been reported. For a distance
of more than three quarters of a mile the river bed
was filled with immense boulders. We boiled water
and I made coffee, which is my special " stunt," as
the doctor calls it. We were lucky in starting our
fire and boiling the water before a sudden violent
rainstorm came up. We were cheerfully eating the
lunch on a rock when, suddenly, the sky darkened,
and a deluge of water came down on our heads.
We " hunted holes " without delay, and went under

277

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

the rocks, where we ate the remains of our lunch
in niches protected by overhanging boulders. After
luncheon we washed sand for a time, hoping to find
traces of gold, but, not finding enough to compen-
sate our labor, we started for a walk up the moun-
tain. We were energetic, and kept on climbing until
we reached the top of a high hill, from which we
could see all over the surrounding country. I am
sure there can be no more beautiful scenery any-
where than in these mountains.

Itogan, May 6, 1902.

THIS morning we started for Itogan hot springs,
where a Calif ornian and his wife are working
a placer mine they think will prove rich. Their
camp is twenty miles from the sanitarium, and we
had been invited to remain overnight, so we packed
provisions for two days, and took our blankets.
Mrs. Allen, the miner's wife, is a courageous woman.
She has been three weeks alone in the camp, with
only an Igorrote boy to help keep house. There is
no white man or woman within five miles, but the
camp is off the main trail, so she is not afraid. It
is only the wandering white man that one does not
like to meet in these mountains.

There were the usual delays in starting. Not long
ago all the Igorrotes who did not take to the woods
were vaccinated. As the virus was good, and the
Igorrotes had never been vaccinated before, it

278

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

" took '* in fine style. On many of the children's
legs, where they had scratched, there was a series of
sores all down the limb. They come now in crowds
for talcum powder and salve, so every morning the
doctor has a clinic in the front yard, while we sit
on our horses telling him to hurry. Many of the
natives regard visiting the doctor a novel entertain-
ment, and one could spend the day trying to find out
what they want.

The presidente has been renting us poor horses
lately, so they have to be sent back and exchanged
every morning. The small naked boys, whose duty
it is to catch them, are suspected of bringing in the
bad ones first for the fun of riding them up and
down the trail. They do this in companies of four
or five, at a full gallop, bareback, yelling like
Indians. Then comes the saddling. As the ponies
are not accustomed to army saddles, we have to be
very careful lest their backs get sore, so each one
saddles his or her pony, and various are the appeals
to the doctor to know if he thinks the saddle be too
far back, or the cinch too tight. The doctor's wife
is a humanitarian, and it takes a good fifteen min-
utes to arrange her horse's cinch. Our Igorrote
carriers, too, must be packed, and their load cinched.
I generally carry the coffee pot slung to my saddle,
and Auria unwillingly submits to the indignity of
carrying a frying pan. The patients with sore
heads and their vaccinations all wait to see us start,

279

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

and the house boys gather with the rest of the in-
habitants of the sanitarium, while the small boys
from the presidente's swing their lariats and give
us an Indian whoop as we clatter away. Invariably,
within five minutes after our departure, some one
is heard calling a halt^ and a pathetic voice from
one or the other of the four women will be heard
exclaiming : " I told you so ; I knew his saddle was
too far forward." Then a discussion follows, every-
one dismounts, saddles are readjusted, and we start
again.

This morning's start was typical, and two hours
after the appointed time we were ambling along the
Beng^et-Manila highway, forgetting the vexatious
delays in the fresh clear air. Our polista, or car-
rier, was a new man — a Bussole, or head hunter —
sent with us by the governor because he could carry
any load for any length of time, and was withal a
most gentle savage. The head hunters do not thirst
for scalps irrespective of their owner's nationality.
A Bussole will only take the head of an enemy
fighting with his tribe, so, in spite of his name and
the reputation he enjoys, we gladly accepted him
as a carrier. He was a lusty fellow, and stepped
off with sixty pounds in his " choggy," or basket,
as if it were a featherweight.

At noon we stopped for luncheon and a siesta in
a grove of pines. Here our head hunter proved his
worth, for, after the sticks were gathered and the fire

280

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

laid, we discovered that some one had forgotten the
matches ; then, from the folds of his " gee string,"
the Bussole produced flint and steel, and soon our
coffee was filling the air with its delicious odor.

Oh! these glorious days in the mountains of the
tropics. I would gladly go on living forever, just
as we are doing now, in blue army shirts and cotton
riding skirts, faded though they be, with beans,
bacon, and coffee our principal food. You should
see with what appetite we eat them.

Our Bussole joined us in our luncheon on the out-
skirts of the group, watching every mouthful we
ate, and imitating us as well as he could. After we
had finished he sat down in the debris, and from my
blanket, with my saddle for a pillow, I watched his
performances. He gathered the meat and jam tins
carefully together, and laid them in a row; exam-
ined our forks, spoons, and knives. The knife and
the spoon were familiar objects, but the fork was
evidently new. He tried it by sticking it into his
mouth, but evidently did not like the feeling, so he
returned to the spoons, and carefully scooped out
the fat from the tinned-beef can and ate it with the
remaining jam. To my gratification, he then poured
water over his fingers, as he had seen us do, but
immediately licked them off, which he did not see
us do. He washed the dishes and packed them, and
then made a little mound of the tin cans, and, imi-
tating his superiors, went to sleep, using them as a

281

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

pillow. Don Octaviano, the presidente of Trinidad,
says, " Igorrotes no sabe agua," which, translated
from the mongrel Spanish all speak up here, signi-
fies " Igorrotes don't understand water." Our Bus-
sole evidently did, but later in the day, when I tried
to teach some dirty little girls the use of soap and
water at a small stream, they laughed, put their
hands behind them and ran away. Perhaps the
head hunters are more capable of civilization thafn
the less ferocious tribes in Benguet province.

About three o'clock we left the main road, and
started into the unexplored Itogan trail. We fol-
lowed it up hill and down dale for four hours. It
was a steep and narrow trail, and on that account
all the more interesting. We saw numbers of forest
fires in the distance. This is the season when the
Igorrotes bum off the mountainsides to give the
grass a chance to grow. It is destructive to the
young trees, and injures the larger ones. Almost
all the big trees show fire scars. While skirting a
barren ridge we were pursued by a thunderstorm,
but managed to keep ahead of it, although now and
again we felt big drops of rain. The doctor's wife
and I took one or two disastrous short cuts, which
stranded us once in an impassable ravine, and the
second time in the path of a carabao and her calf.
We consider ourselves venturesome, but always turn
our horses and retreat when the long-horned, black-
skinned carabao meets us. We met a train of fifty

282

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

polistas in one lonely valley carrying rice to the
mountains. They were evidently not used to seeing
white women and children, and ignorant of the
Spanish language, as they responded to our greet-
ings with unintelligible gutturals. Our horses
walked almost all the way, but now and then we
came out on a smooth hilltop, and then they scam-
pered along at a lively pace. The views were su-
perb. The big blue-black thunderclouds were almost
terrifying in their grandeur. We saw few signs of
life. Now and then we came to a small hut, and
on a cliff overhanging a river we saw a large Igor-
rote village clinging to the rocks. The trails leading
from the village to the river bed, six or seven hun-
dred feet below it, looked like red threads hanging
over the rocks. Now and then the dark green of a
camote, or sweet-potato patch, or the brighter hue
of a banana grove, nestled in the fold of the moun-
tains, showed that somewhere in their neighborhood
was a hidden village.

At last, as we were wondering if we had lost our
way, we came out on a shoulder of the mountain
and looked across a deep wide canon. Far down
in the ravine flowed a river, and, rising like a bas-
tion in the bend of the stream, towered a steep cliff.
A grove of mango trees crowned the height, and
we recognized the description of Camp Allen. So
we rode on, although it was over an hour before we
forded the stream that wound around the base of
19 283

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

the natural fortress on which the Aliens had built
the nipa shack, and pitched the tents they call home.
Mrs. Allen had been watching us for an hour as
we appeared first on one point and then on another
of the narrow trail leading down the mountain. Be-
fore her eyes had discerned the line of moving fig-
ures, the little Igorrote who guards her and her
home had spied us far away against the skyline as
we crossed a barren ridge, and had run excitedly
to her, calling : " Seiiora, Sefiora, Americanos,
Americanos ! " After a final climb that was almost
a scramble up the steep narrow path to the top of
the clifT, we came out on to a smooth green meadow
shaded by the famous old mango g^ove, the only
one growing at this elevation for miles around. The
situation of the Allen camp is unique. It would
serve as a fortress in time of war, and yet once un-
der the mango trees, surrounded by the green
meadows, looking off toward the quiet mountains,
it has a homelike air. After unsaddling and turning
our horses out to grass, we unpacked our provisions
despite the protests of our hostess, and volunteered
to help get supper. Then the doctor's wife came to
the front. She at once decided to make soda biscuit
and tongue hash. This rather staggered the rest
of us, and, being unable to compete with such deli-
cacies, Mrs. Wilson and I meekly volunteered to
set the table in Mrs. Allen's little dining room. The
bamboo house has three rooms, and they are home-

284

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

like American rooms adorned with Filipino curios
and pictures from art magazines and periodicals.
The Igorrote servant had been sent on a message
by Mrs. Allen, so our head hunter acted as waiter,
and his dusky form dressed in a simple " gee string "
lent local color to the scene. The little table was
fresh, and the .white china and the silver spoons
(we had tin ones at the sanitarium) gave such an
air of home to the scene that one might have fan-
cied himself in America had it not been for the
presence of this naked savage handing around cups,
especially as he had donned a red turban as full
dress, which gave him a warlike appearance.

Later we began our preparations for the night.
Mrs. Allen had only three cots. Mrs. Wilson and
Auria were assigned to the two extra ones, while
the doctor, his wife, and I decided to sleep under
the mango trees. It was a clear night. The storm
clouds had passed away, and the stars glittered as
they can do only in the tropics. It is much warmer
here than at Baguio, as we are fifteen hundred
feet lower. The pine does not grow on these lower
levels, and the mango, banana, palm, and cocoa-
nut flourish. You know how hard it is to sleep
" under a strange roof." For hours I lay without
even a piece of canvas over my head, fooking up
into the starry night, and, although I tried all the
usual devices to induce sleep, I could not close my
eyes. Opposite us in an open tent, with a lighted

285

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

candle between them, throwing their figures into
full view, lay the two Igorrotes. One was on the
ground, and the other on a bench above him. They
seemed interested in each other's company, and
talked together in guttural tones, every now and
then breaking into the weird chant of which I have
so often written. Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Allen
were gossiping away like two schoolgirls in the
house, and the grass walls did not in the least deaden
their voices.

After an hour or so the Igorrotes and the ladies
ceased their interchange of confidences, and other
noises less reassuring intruded themselves on my
ears. The doctor had advised us to tie up our heads
and ears in towels as a precaution against dew and
insects. As a child, I disliked to have my ears cov-
ered, and I like it no better now; so I tossed and
turned, and finally, when I could endure it no
longer, I took off the towel, preferring to risk the
danger of a cockroach walking into my ear. People
talk of the vast solitude and the stillness of the
night. I never heard so many noises in my life.
There was a steady crunch, crunch, and the frequent
snort of our horses as they cropped the short grass.
A thousand insects filled the air with whizz and
whirr, making me re-cover my ears precipitately,
only to uncover them at some unusual sound. From
far away came the tap of a native drum. A melan-
choly owl, or night bird, with a hoarse cry, wheeled

286

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

round and round our mountain top. Now and
again a low guttural sound from the Igorrotes
caused me to reflect on the tales I had heard of head
hunters, and the impossibility of even a handsome
young Bussole like our carrier winning a bride un-
less one head at least hangs at his cabin door. Here
was his chance to secure at least three fine speci-
mens with nice long scalp locks. This thought,
however terrifying, did not drive me from my blan-
ket. But soon another and more horrible idea was
seized on by my wakeful imagination. Suppose an
Igorrote pig or two — what more likely — should come
rooting about my pillow? I certainly heard their
grunts, and everywhere their soft footfalls came to
my eass. I did not scream nor call the doctor, nor
disturb the doctor's wife, but I straightway arose,
took up my bed and walked into the house, where
I slept in peace, if not in comfort, on the floor. This
morning I was, of course, somewhat shamefaced
when the doctor and his wife glorified the incom-
parable beauty of the morning star. Til sit up some
night to see it, but I will not sleep on the ground
where Igorrote pigs — you should see the beasts —
can wander among my pillows.

Itogan, May 7, 1902.

I^HIS morning, after a fine breakfast cooked by
the whole party in concert, the doctor, his wife,
Auria, and I went down to the river to wash for

287

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

gold, and to take a sulphur bath. It is much hotter
here than we imagined, and by half-past eight it
was too warm to be comfortable, but we were deter-
mined to see the golden river from which Mr. Allen
expects to dig a fortune, and to explore the Itogan
sulphur springs, which may some day become the
site of a fashionable water-cure establishment. The
river is broad and rocky, a raging torrent in the
winter, but at the end of the dry season it is what
a Californian would call a dry creek. The Igorrote
women do the gold washing in flat tin pans, and,
they say, make successful miners, although the labor
supply is very limited, wages not being an induce-
ment. Mr. Allen has dug long ditches in the river
bed, removing the rock and debris till ^he has
reached sand. We carried each a pie plate with us,
and started in at once to locate a temporary claim.
We had been instructed to look for ** color," so we
patiently cradled the sand back and forth eagerly
seeking traces of the golden sand, but finding none.
Half roasted, and reflecting that the mines were al-
ready located, we decided to sample the sulphur
springs, a water cure being more in the doctor's line
than a gold mine. As we ascended the stream the
banks closed in until the rocky bed of the river al-
most filled the canon. The banks were yellow sand-
stone, covered with orange stains and dripping with
moisture from sulphur streams, which sent up puflfs
and cloudlets of steam. At one spot the springs

288

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

were gushing out of the bank, sending down a
stream of hot water that ran parallel with the cold
river water for some distance, and then, uniting
with it, formed the curious phenomenon of a river
with a hot side and a cold side. We sent the doctor
upstream to hunt a bathing place, and began our
preparations for a bath. Each selected the tempera-
ture most pleasing to her. This was not easy, for
the water was either too hot or too cold, generally
the former. Finally, however, each found a pool to
her liking, and found the water extremely soothing
to various insect bites, the inevitable result of sleep-
ing on the floor in a bamboo shack. The chapter of
accidents attending our emergence from the sulphur
pool, changing from wet to dry clothes, and gath-
ering together of our various garments from dry
rocks in distant parts of the stream, cannot be set
down here.

This afternoon a storm came down the mountain,
and it is pouring now. We had much difficulty in
getting our dinner, as the wood was wet, and there
were too many cooks. Our head hunter also showed
a too rapid progress in civilization. When we gave
him a pail to fetch water from the stream, he de-
manded by signs a lantern and the doctor's rain coat.
As he was already quite wet to his skin in conse-
quence of his total lack of clothing, we could only
attribute his desire for a rain coat to a reprehensible
love of finery, which we felt it necessary to repress,

289

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

so we hung the rain coat away and put the lantern
in a comer.

As I write, the wind is rattling the bamboo house,
and the rain pouring off the thatch in torrents.

Baguio, May 8, 1902.

THE first thing I saw this morning as I peered
out into the morning light was our head hunter
returning from the river with a pail of water on his
head, carrying the unlighted lantern in his hand and
wearing the doctor's rain coat. The storm was over,
and the sky serene.

By six o'clock we were off for Baguio. The trail
was muddy, but generally uphill, which is easier
than a down grade. We were four hours returning.
We did not stop for luncheon en route, but rode
steadily along without halting.

We found the storm had been severe at Baguio,
and the meadow below the sanitarium, where our
horses usually graze, was a lake. We were wel-
comed as adventurers returned from new and un-
discovered countries, and were regaled with wine,
jelly, and cake for dessert. A company of patients,
including a lame carabao, was awaiting the doctor's
return ; several of them had been camping under the
trees since the day before. We are all so delighted
with the success of the trip to Itogan that we are
now contemplating a camping expedition to Mount
Luzon.

290

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Baguio, May i8, 1902.

SINCE our trip to Itogan, we have been rather
quiet, taking our luncheon to heights nearby,
and spending long afternoons reading or writing.
One of our favorite haunts is the flat top of a high
mountain standing like a watch tower at the head
of a deep green valley. Below it the emerald rice
fields glitter in the sun, and beyond them the dis-
tant heights are crowned at this season of the year
with snow-white clouds. There are a few fine trees
and a bamboo hut in this delectable spot. At noon
we make our coffee, and toast our bacon in the
rough stone fireplace of the cabin, and during the
long afternoons we read or sew, and watch the big
thunderstorms come up from the China Sea. They
do not always reach us, but there is the probability
that they will, and there is fun in guessing just how
far they will fulfill their muttered threats. Once in
a while we are surprised by an attack from the rear,
where, by a flanking movement, the storm has
reached us unawares, and a deluge through the
chimney place causes us to gather ourselves together
in the dry end of the cabin. Trains of passing
polistas peer in at the door, smilingly greet us with
" mucho bueno," or, if the storm be on, tbey crowd
into the hut and, while waiting for its passage, lick
the oil from empty sardine tins or smack their lips
over scraps of bacon and biscuit we politely offer
them. When they have gone we invariably shake

291

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

out our skirts, but we like the polistas, and encour-
age their coming. When the storm has passed,
every living thing begins to move. The grass
straightens up, and all creeping and jumping things
stretch their legs. From the winding mountain
trails we hear the twanging of the camote-carrier's
jew's-harp, and from the nearer villages the beating
of drums. Then we join the rest of the world, and,
beating time on tin pans or tomato cans, practice a
dance we learned at Mateo Carifio's tiyow. Corned-
beef hash and canned peach pie is our principal diet
just now at the sanitarium, for washouts on the San
Fernando road have delayed the transportation of
commissary supplies. We are too hungry to grum-
ble, however, and the sweet potatoes are always
good.

Last Friday we made a long trip over the motfti-
tains. Our objective point was Tublai, where we
hoped to get some horses and fresh eggs, but a
storm came on before we reached our destination,
and we were obliged to return without visiting the
village. The trail led us through an unexplored
country into the rice district, where the natives, with
Japanese industry, have terraced whole mountain-
sides. Carefully laid stone walls support patches of
rice only a few feet wide. The terraces rise irregu-
larly one above another hundreds of feet up the
mountainside. The irrigating stream is carried along
the side of the hills in a sluice, and then led down

292

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

from one terrace to another, so that there is a con-
stantly running stream through all the paddies. We
looked off on a whole region of these terraced hills.
The miners' complaint that Igorrotes will not work
does not seem to be well founded, in this district at
least. We passed through one village where the
houses were substantially built of heavy timbers,
with a large loft for storing rice straw.

We did some rough riding, scrambling over stony
hillsides where the track was all but invisible. In
one narrow path the doctor's wife and I, who were
riding ahead, came upon our bete noire — a carabao.
This time I determined to stand my ground, so, ad-
vancing slowly but firmly, I said " shoo " in a weak,
wavering tone, which would have betrayed my state
of mind to any beast but a carabao. Instead of
charging and goring us, as we almost expected, he
plunged down a steep bank to get out of our way.
We ate our luncheon on the roadside.

Although the morning had been warm and clear,
by noon the sky was overcast, and everything indi-
cated an afternoon deluge, so we decided, as Tublai
was five miles away over an uphill trail, we would
better wait for a more propitious day. Before the
discussion had ended, and our decision was reached,
big drops of rain came pelting through the trees,
and everyone scrambled to saddle his horse and get
out his poncho. One wears a poncho to keep him
dry, but it is the most successful contrivance for get-

293

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

ting one wet I have ever put on. It gathers the
drops of water, and sends them in streams down its
folds into your skirts and shoes. The wind catches
it and sends it over your head, which precipitates a
flood into your neck and ears, besides clinging to
and nearly strangling you. Before you can possibly
get it in place your back is soaking wet. By this
time, unless your pony is an army mule, the animal
you are riding has shied, and perhaps thrown you
off, for the side flaps of the poncho have been slap-
ping his ears and eyes during your eclipse. My
method is to take the poncho on every trip neatly
rolled and tied into its proper place in my army
saddle. It makes a cool pillow and serves as a table-
cloth, but if it begins to rain I put it back in its
straps, and keep it there until the sun comes out.
So, in spite of friendly advice, I sat on my poncho
as we turned our horses' heads down the trail. In
almost no time I was wet to the skin, but so were
my companions in their ponchos. Benguet is not
tropical, and a rain and windstorm is cold as well
as wet, so after plodding along in a dripping condi-
tion for half an hour we turned our horses' heads
in the direction of an Igorrote village, and, tying
them under the eaves, entered one of the biggest
shacks. It was hardly cheerful even for an Igorrote
interior, and the stuffy damp air was not inviting,
but a fire flickered on the ground at one end and a
big heap of wood lay near by, so we made our way

294

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

toward it, stumbling over several blanketed forms.
These arose with grunts, and, perceiving our plight,
piled wood on the fire and offered us logs, their
substitute for chairs. We soon perceived by the
light of the kindling flames a woman and several
small children crouching on a platform at the upper
end of the hut. There was no furniture; a few
earthen jars, an iron pot, and the ever-present kero-
sene-oil can served as their cooking utensils, and
old cotton blankets as their bedclothes. Having
built up the fire, our hosts reached the limits of all
possible hospitality, and retired again to the floor
and their blankets. Only the little beady eyes of
the babies gleamed out of the darkness; they alone
took any interest in the proceedings of the strangers.
For half an hour we steamed in front of the fire,
not drying our clothes in the least. I emptied the
wat^r out of my shoes and dried my stockings, weep-
ing smoky tears. The air in the meantime became
more and more stifling, but the hoped-for lull in the
storm did not come, so we decided the open air and
rain were preferable to smoky steam and Igorrotes.
By the time our little cavalcade was well started
the trail was a rushing river, and at the first steep
descent our hitherto patient and willing beasts re-
volted ; mine stood stock still, refusing to move, and
halfway down the slope two more followed his bad
example. These three animals were, unfortunately,
those ridden by the women of the party, and an
•295

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

animated discussion arose; offers on the part of
the men to exchange horses were refused with
scorn, and each woman determined to conquer her
mount. The result may be divined by the fact that
half an hour later three bedraggled women were
plunging ankle deep in water, leading reluctant
ponies that pulled backward, and laid their ears
flat against their necks at every encouraging word
from their mistresses. By this time the line of
march was somewhat stretched out. Our leader,
who after his offer to exchange ponies had been
politely but firmly repulsed, found the cause of pony
obstinacy in the soft-heartedness of the female
nature, and rode ahead, just keeping us in sight
from projecting spurs of the mountain. At last we
saw him no more for some time, and imagined him
trotting steadily on by aid of whip and spur. What
was our surprise and delight, although we hypo-
critically hid the latter sentiment, on plunging into
a little ravine to find him seated on a rock in the
midst of rushing waters holding on to his beast,
that st6od planted on the bank, all four feet well
anchored in the mud, and his ears farther back than
those of our own stubborn ones. We offered ad-
vice, and proposed tying the whole bunch together,
and attacking them at both ends ; but our erstwhile
lordly leader was not communicative, and evidently
preferred to be let alone, so we all resumed our
weary task of dragging and pushing the little beasts

296

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

uphill. Now and then on level ground they would
allow us to mount, and carry us to the next plunge,
but he who knows the Benguet mountains will re-
member how few and far between these level
stretches are. Finally, the tender-heartedness
ascribed to female character fell away from all three
of us. At dusk we dragged ourselves into Trinidad,
where the streets were rushing torrents, and the
village seemed deserted. At the house of the school-
teacher we were comforted with dry sweaters and
such portions of masculine attire as it was possible
for us to use, and a certain " non-alcoholic '' bever-
age which, nevertheless, sent warm waves through
chilled limbs and heartened us up for the rest of the
journey.

By this time the party had decided to separate into
pairs and not wait for each other, so, when I set off,
it was in company with the long-legged governor of
Benguet, who promised to see me through, and he
did. His mount was fresh, brought in by an accom-
modating consejale, and mine ought to have been
fresh, as I had pulled him up all the hills that lie be-
tween Trinidad and the fork where the main road
sweeps over the hills to Tublai. So the governor
tied a rope to his neck, and we started off, he towing
and I beating my nag not cruelly, but firmly and con-
tinuously. We made two stops on our way, one
at the little inn kept by a peasant from the far south
of France, who has drifted into this country, and

297

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

has already surrounded himself with certain ac-
cessories that have created the unmistakable at-
mosphere of his native land. A patch of garden
vegetables, a neat railing about the place, a tethered
goat, and an odor of sour red wine and garlic gave
one a delightful sense of the unexpected and famil-
iar. At the Whitmarsh place my pony refused to
be towed or beaten any farther, so we turned in
and spent a brief half hour of delicious warmth be-
side their hospitable open fire. We were no longer
very wet, for the rain had ceased just as we left
Trinidad, and when Mr. Whitmarsh's own pony was
brought to me, and a stirrup cup of some delicious
and, I suspect, not " non-alcoholic " mixture drunk
to the health of our hostess, the stars were brilliant
above us, and we took the road at a gallop that
made me forget all the weary miles that lay behind,
and the lights of the sanitarium gleamed all too soon
over the marshland. No one took cold, and no one
was even stiff the next day ; even my wretched lit-
tle pony looked fresh and gay, and I thought I de-
tected something in his small eyes that said : " I
rather enjoyed the trip, after all — didn't you? '*

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

THE RETURN FROM THE MOUNTAINS

San Fernando, June 8, 1902.

YESTERDAY morning we left Baguio, after a
three months' visit, every moment of which has
been full of interest and pleasure. These mountains
would not be a bad place in which to spend one's
declining years, although, when I gave this opinion
the other day, the doctor suggested that I might not
enjoy the trails in my declining years as much as I
do now. We might have lingered here indefinitely,
but the rainy season began in earnest, and we were
warned by passing travelers that the trails would
soon be impassable. Last week a typhoon washed
out several miles of new road on the Manila-Ben-
guet highway, and during a visit down in the flats
the little stream we crossed on stepping-stones rose
ten feet in two hours, carrying away trees and other
landmarks. All the polistas have reported " mucha
agua," and finally letters from Manila became
pressing. To get away from Baguio required' time
and diplomacy. First, the governor was consulted,
and his good-will enlisted with the Igorrotes that
20 299

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

we might obtain a sufficient number of polistas to
carry our luggage down to Naguilian. Then the
journey was timed so that we might get down the
trail between rainstorms. We planned to start last
Monday, hoping we might get off Tuesday or
Wednesday, but it was Thursday morning before
all our polistas arrived and our horses were ready.
Even then we did not leave the sanitarium at six
o'clock, as every party should do. The nonappear-
ance of half the polistas caused the delays. A din-
ner at the governor's the evening before our de-
parture was the cause of our late start, for a young
pig had been killed to grace the feast, and Bug Tong,
factotum and chief cook, also gave a little dinner
in the kitchen to visiting polistas after we had dined.
We heard the sounds of revelry, and perceived the
odor of rice wine as we were taking leave of our
host. At all events, Bug Tong, who was sent in
quest of lost polistas, returned at nine o'clock with
the missing ones. They looked sleepy and shame-
faced as they loaded up for the journey. Auria had
a chair carried by two strong fellows.

Miss Norton, a school-teacher returning to her
work in Manila after an outing in the mountains;
Morris, the guide, and I went on horseback. Miss
Norton is a sensible sort of person in general, but
she has certain habits and customs which are pecul-
iar and original. One of these is her manner of
mounting and dismounting from a horse. She says

300

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

it " comes natural " to her, and " it's the right way
on a bicycle," so she invariably gets on and off her
pony over its head. We all ride " man fashion,"
as the governor calls it, and the saddles are of the
cowboy pattern with a high pommel to hold the
lasso. So Miss Norton's method of mounting has
its disadvantages. Finally, we set off, accompanied
by the governor ks escort and guide, over the Ireson
trail, a steep and beautiful short cut we did not dare
venture to take alone. It was rougher and nar-
rower than our accustomed trails, and slippery with
mud, but now and then we rode through wide green
glades, dotted with beautiful trees, and through the
branches we caught glimpses of the China Sea. All
the streams were swollen, and the dry river beds
we had crossed on our trip up to Baguio in April
were rushing torrents. Vegetation, too, was more
luxuriant everywhere. Large-leaved plants fringed
the water courses.

Above the banks of the Ireson River we ate our
farewell luncheon with the governor, lingering in
the shadow of the pines, hating to leave the cool
shade for the hot country below us. Just for the
fun of seeing us get wet, the governor volunteered
to cross the river with us. The fun was for us as
it turned out, for the stream was deeper than we
imagined, and the governor could not tuck up his
long legs under him as we did our shorter ones,
so he soaked his boots and trousers, and we left him

301

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

ruefully contemplating the return trip. Having re-
gretfully said good-by, we realized that our picnic
had made heavy inroads on the afternoon, and that
eighteen miles lay between us and our camp at
Sablan. Already great white clouds were piling up
over the China Sea, and we knew that in all proba-
bility they held torrents of rain under their soft
fleecy coats. The ride was a test of nerve and en-
durance, and we all considered our record a good
one. In many places the trail had been washed into
a deep gully with slanting sides, along which my
horse scrambled in a manner that made me hold my
breath. Farther on it was a succession of holes,
one below the other, like a series of steps. At these
places Miss Norton invariably stopped her horse and
dismounted over its head, running a fearful risk of
swinging him and herself headlong down the steep
trail. We did not stop often nor talk much, for it
was serious work, but now and then I involuntarily
held up my pony to look at the glorious views
around me. About four o'clock we heard low mut-
terings of distant thunder, and knew that the storm
was breaking below us. The polistas with our bag-
gage, and the chair carrier with Auria, hurried on,
hoping to reach Sablan before the rain came. I sent
Morris with Auria and the carriers, and Miss Nor-
ton, whose horse was a faster walker than mine,
soon left me behind.

I was not sorry to ride alone in the strange, won-
302

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

derful country of tree ferns with the background of
mountains, and in front of me the spread of the
shining sea. One of the many drawbacks of the
trail was a tall grass with thin leaves whose sharp
edges cut like a knife if they chanced to touch one's
face or hands. The thunderstorm kept creeping up,
and as I dipped down into a steep ravine I felt a
few drops of rain. The trail was completely washed
away at this place, and just as the rain began, and
I was trying to button up my waterproof cape, it
suddenly came to an end, and dropped down per-
pendicularly six or eight feet. My horse happily
stopped on the edge of the break, and I dismounted,
when he suddenly turned around and bolted up the
trail. I was far behind the others, and had no one
to send after him, so back I went, and succeeded in
catching him after a tiresome climb of ten or fifteen
minutes. By this time it was pouring, and I was
wet to the skin. My pony would not let me mount,
and I had to drive him before me down the narrow
trail. For an hour and a half I plodded, slipped,
and slid up and down that wet, steep mountainside.
Half the time the trail was a miniature river run-
ning over me ankle deep. It was dark and cold
under the trees at the bottom of the canons, and I
felt limp and miserable, but on I went. At last I
reached the little valley of Sablan, where our camp
lay, and as I rode into the glade that surrounds it
the sky began to clear, and, in spite of my depressed

303

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

state of mind and wet clothes, I could but enjoy the
pink and pearl tints in the sky and the delicious
fragrance of the great bunches of white lilies grow-
ing in profusion everywhere. Arriving at the hut,
I found everyone wet, and the polistas trying to
light a fire with damp wood. The hut was dry, and,
as I had a change of clothing in the poncho, Auria
and I were soon comfortable, although almost suf-
focated with the smoke from the fire. As no one
seemed anxious to cook supper, we ate bread and
butter and cold corned beef, and then spent the even-
ing trying to dry our riding skirts, that we might
be presentable in Naguilian the next day.

The Igorrotes are not especially wild or savage
in appearance, but one has a romantic realization
that he is under the Southern Cross in the Islands
of the Pacific when he watches them crouched about
their fires at night eating boiled dog and camotes
(sweet potatoes). For two hours last night I sat
on a log, smoked, scorched, and stiff from my day's
journey, but fascinated by their strange ways and
curious customs. I carried away a vivid impression
of Igorrote character. We went to bed at ten, but
the excitement of the day, the roar of the river, and
the mournful cry of a strange bird kept me from
sleeping soundly. Strips of bamboo with a thin
blanket over them, and shoes and a poncho for a
pillow, are not the softest of couches, but Auria
slept quietly all night.

304

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

San Fernando, June i6, 1902.

IN my last letter I gave you an account of our trip
down the mountains as far as Sablan. You re-
member our being overtaken by a rainstorm and
soaked to the skin before reaching shelter. It did
none of us any harm, fortunately, and we were up
before daylight the next morning to cook breakfast
and start in good season for San Fernando. The
night before, Morris had shot two chickens, left
behind by the miner who lived formerly in the camp.
I had some Benguet coffee and cold boiled potatoes,
left from luncheon the day before. We fried the
chicken in bacon, and I made coffee and creamed
potatoes. It was a delicious breakfast, and started
us off in high spirits. The morning was cool, and
we left Sablan before six o'clock. Oh! that fairy-
like tropical world of ferns, bamboo, orchid, and
flowering trees, all dripping with the raindrops of
the night showers! We made a quick trip down,
reaching Naguilian about eleven o'clock. There we
were met by the supervisor and school-teacher, who
took us in charge and gave us a nice lunch. At
three o'clock we started in an ambulance for San
Fernando, where we expected to take the steamer
for Dagupan, announced to sail that evening. The
road passed through the same country we had trav-
eled over in April. Everything was green instead
of brown, and the river was wide and deep. We
splashed through water almost up to the floor of the

305

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

ambulance. The road was not very bad, and be-
tween Bauang, where we spent the night on the way
up, and San Fernando, we ate the first mangoes of
the season. They were delicious after our diet of
tinned fruit at Baguio. It makes one sad to think
how much of that delicious fruit is going to waste.
On account of cholera no one may sell it in Manila.
It is forbidden because the natives eat it in such
large quantities that they predispose themselves to
cholera. After all, one cannot but wonder if the
authorities are not going a little too far in the mat-
ter of food supply. The natives might as well die
of cholera as of hunger.

To return to our trip and mangoes, which started
this discussion. We were not afraid to eat fruit,
for there had been no cholera in Union province.
When we reached San Fernando the Bxitaan was
just steaming out of the bay for Manila. There
was no hotel or boarding house where we could
spend the night, so we had to go to the governor's.
At all times visiting natives is a trial, but this time
it was especially so, for the wife of our host, a
delicate little creature only twenty-four years old,
the mother of six children, was half ill. The baby,
three months old, had a bad cough. Had they been
willing to give us a room and plain food it would
have been easier for us and them, but in true Fili-
pino style we must be entertained, so we were re-
ceived with due formality. I received in state the

306

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

various officials of San Fernando until six o'clock ;
then we were served with cocoa and cakes. Immedi-
ately afterwards other guests arrived, and, as we
did not dine until nine o'clock, I was famished and
exhausted. We had six kinds of meat, besides
chicken soup, a fricassee, and fish. The postmaster
and other public officials waited on the table, with
the servants as aides. The postmaster is a relative
of the governor, and a fine-looking, very polite
young gentleman, who speaks good English. There
was a combination of deference and dignity in his
manner of serving us with stewed carabao, or roast
kid, that was exquisite, and I am serious in saying
tliis. Jose Ortega, the governor, is an intelligent
and agreeable man. He is young, and anxious to
learn our ideas of government. He does not speak
English, but is studying it.

I had looked forward during the long and weary-
ing dinner to retiring immediately after it, but this
plan was frustrated by the eager zeal of the gover-
nor and several guests who. were deeply interested
in the plans of our government, so, tired as I was,
I felt, like the doctor's wife, that my duty to " the
cause" was paramount, so till long after midnight
I held forth on all conceivable subjects relating to
America and the Philippines. Finally, when I did
go to my room, I found two narrow beds for three
of us, adjoining a room occupied by the governor,
his wife, two nurses, and five children. The poof

307

(

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

little baby coughed and cried all night, and the other
children had nightmare. I longed for the bamboo
hut at the camp of Sablan.

During the evening the captain in command of
the garrison had sent us notice that the government
launch would probably arrive in port the following
morning and leave San Fernando by noon for
Manila. While we were at breakfast, to our con-
sternation a messenger arrived saying that the boat
was waiting, and we must go on board at once. We
were off within fifteen minutes, but saw the launch
steaming out of the harbor as we reached the shore.
We were both astonished and annoyed. On inquiry,
we found that the quartermaster had not informed
the captain of the launch that we were waiting to
go to Manila, so he left immediately after taking on
the mail. The officer tried to excuse himself by
telling us that a small boat belonging to the Mari-
tima Company would go out in the evening. So
back we went to the governor's. Sefiora Ortega
had a headache. We made it an excuse to go to
our room. I was tired out, and it was hotter than
I had ever experienced it in Manila. The sun poured
into our windows, and the mosquitoes buzzed about
our ears. We were afraid to drink water, and there
was no ice in town — for civilians. We were given
a drink of distilled ice water at the quartermaster's
later in the day. At noon, alas ! there was the same
array of plates, and the mystic number of seven

308

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

courses of meat. In the afternoon I could hardly
move, but there was no rest for the weary, and I
discussed again our government and American in-
stitutions with official guests. Between times we
went to the beach to see if there were any signs of
steamers.

The one bright spot in that day of torture was a
drive along the shore and out into the country. The
evening was cool, and the sun set gorgeously in the
China Sea. Then came the wonderful changes from
gold to pale gray, through all the gamut of color.
The shore was fringed with cocoanut groves, under
which gfew, as it seemed, the soft-toned native
houses. Small brown children played in the waves,
and the erect, lithe figures of women in turkey-red
skirts, basket on head, glided in and out of the
shadows. Sefiora Ortega was silent, and for a brief
hour I rested. Our steamer did not arrive, and after
another night of misery I went down to the quar-
termaster and told him he must get me to Dagupan,
and I wanted to leave in either a launch or an ambu-
lance that morning. He asked me when I could be
ready, and I said " in half an hour.'' In an hour
we had said good-by to our hospitable, but relieved,
friends, and, armed with letters to all the presidentes
on the route, we started overland in an ambulance
for Dagupan. Our adventures en route FU save for
another time.

309

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

June i8, 1902.

WHEN I finished my last letter we had decided
to leave for Dagupan by ambulance, so we
gathered our belongings — ^there were fourteen pack-
ages — ^and after lengthy adieux to our host, the gov-
ernor of Union, his amiable little wife and five small
children, we started off in the hot sun with four
good mules, a decent sort of a driver, some lunch,
and a basket of mangoes. We were armed with
letters to every presidente along the road, and a
special recommendation to the principal citizens of
Santo Tomas, where we were to spend the night.

The possibility of our reaching Dagupan was
considered dubious by the. military officials, and I
am sure the quartermaster expected to see us return
to San Fernando the next day. I find that in the
Philippines dangers are generally exaggerated. We
had been told the Benguet trail was impassable for
women, but we had come down not only in safety,
but had enjoyed every moment, so off we started
for Dagupan in good spirits. It is not the climate
that is wearing on the nerves in the Philippines, but
the feeling of responsibility for the people and the
government. One can't help worrying whenever he
sees the roads need mending and rivers need bridg-
ing. If the supervisors do not seem to understand
their business, as some of them do not, an Ameri-
can feels as if he were personally responsible. They
are building a new road from San Fernando to

310

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Bauang, but the man who is doing it does not know
his business, or has not facilities for transporting
proper material, for he is putting on a soft, cal-
careous stone that disintegrates with dampness, and
is washed away every time it rains. Later on in
our journey we came to a fine piece of road con-
structed by the army; river gravel was put on top
of crushed boulders, making a firm bed. The great-
est need of this country is transportation facilities.
The little bulls and cows the natives use are weak,
the carabaos are scarce, and are needed to cultivate
the fields. If narrow-gauge railroads could be built
into provinces where there are no navigable streams,
it would develop the country immensely, and open
up districts which now are totally shut oflf from any
commerce with neighboring provinces and the coast.
Union is a rich province, and a healthy one. They
raise good tobacco, and San Fernando is the head-
quarters of the Tabacalera Company. There are
numberless streams fordable in the dry season
which become raging torrents during the heavy
rains, carrying off the bridges, and making travel-
ing tedious and sometimes unsafe. Between San
Fernando and Dagupan we crossed at least twenty
streams, many of them rivers at this season; all
excepting three or four were too deep to ford.

Our first detention was at Bauang, six miles out
of San Fernando. As we were in a hurry, I did not
present my letter to the presidente, but we drove

311

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

through the town and down to the bank of a wide
stream we had forded when we came through in
April. I never would have recognized it as the
same river, it looked so wide and so deep. We saw
no means of crossing it, and a number of natives
shook their heads emphatically when we asked them
by signs if we could drive through it. We could
not speak Ilocano, and the natives did not under-
stand Spanish. Our driver was no help in the mat-
ter, so we were beginning to think the quartermaster
might be right, after all, and we should be obliged
to return to San Fernando. Just then two mounted
members of the constabulary rode up. I thought
of my card from the governor of Union, and soon
found the name of a civil commissioner was as
potent with them as a general's name with a pri-
vate. They at once set about to get us a raft. A
rickety bamboo balsa, as they call it, was brought
out from a bend in the river, and with much pro-
fanity from the driver the wheel horses were in-
duced to haul the ambulance on the raft, which
immediately * sank below the surface of the water.
The horses were then led off, which helped matters
a little. Then our baggage was taken off, and the
natives, to the number of about twenty, pushed the
balsa off. The driver refused to " trust his life " to
the rickety old balsa, so we watched our ambulance
float across the stream with the feeling that we were
lessening our chances of getting either to Dagupan

312

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIALS WIFE

or back to San Fernando. Imagine our astonish-
ment on finding that, instead of using their poles
and punting the balsa over, the men waded through
the river in water only up to their waists, pushing
the raft before them. We were disgusted, especially
the driver, who did not know how to ride a mule,
and did not wish to wet his feet ; so he had the raft
make two more trips, one to carry over the animals
and another to take the baggage. We went over in
a small banca, which passengers use in crossing
streams. When we were safe on the other side,
and our luggage packed up and the mules harnessed,
we determined to send natives across every river we
rnight come to before we again took a raft to cross
in three feet of water.

This experience cost us an hour and a half of
precious time. The roads were bad, and we forded
the next two streams, sending a Filipino before us
to point out the way. There were numbers of bull
carts going our way, too, and we began to smile
at the tales of the dangerous roads, and felt some-
what superior at having insisted on making the trip.
Although a good team, our mules were not speedy,
and our driver was cautious to such a degree that
he made me suspect he was afraid of them. How-
ever, we did not worry, but gave ourselves up to
enjoying the sights. I never tire of watching the
Filipinos. They are always gay, and sit in their
windows watching life as it passes. Our appearance

313

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

was an event in that life, and babies were dropped
and children ran shouting to see the big mule team
and the Americanos. Auria, of course, attracted
most attention, and at the houses where our driver
stopped to get a drink of water, and we jumped out
of the ambulance to stretch our tired limbs, they
crowded about her, some of the bolder ones touch-
ing her dress. One woman of better class, at a
river where we were obliged to cross on a raft,
as it was ten feet deep, said in Spanish that
she felt like biting Auria*s cheeks, they were so
pretty.

We tried to make our driver desist from water
drinking at native shacks, and share our bottles of
distilled water, but he said he was germ proof, and
took fruit and native food with a recklessness that
made me fear he might die of cholera before we
reached our destination. The Filipinos are all hos-
pitable, and the soldiers have made themselves free
with native tobacco and vino, so, when one demands
anything, he gets it. As a rule, I think the soldiers
pay for what they get, but yet, when they go up to
a house, they order things in a lordly way that
shows they expect to get what they ask for.

So we drove on till evening. Our road was fairly
good, or, at least, so much better than we had hoped,
that it seemed good. The highway lay near the
sea, and the breeze was cool — that wonderful Phil-
ippine breeze that one always feels when he is driv-

314

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

ing, even in the hottest weather. There was a re-
freshing rain in the afternoon that cooled the air,
laid the dust, and did not last long enough to make
the roads muddy. Then came a gorgeous sunset
behind cocoanut groves, and about dusk we drove
up to the house of the friend of Governor Ortega,
an amigo of the Americans. He was the gentleman
who had prepared our entertainment when we trav-
eled through the country in April. Although our
arrival was wholly unexpected, we were met by the
family with every expression of welcome, and, to
my protestations of regret for our unannounced
descent upon them, they replied that it was a great
pleasure to place their house and themselves at our
commands. As to my letter from the governor,
they assured me that none was needed, as they con-
sidered themselves honored by entertaining us, and
our names were a passport wherever loyal Filipinos
lived. The house was still unfurnished, although a
little further advanced than when we passed through
the town in April. The interior partitions had not
been put in, and our beds were screened off behind
sheets. We were immediately invited to bathe our
faces and hands. Fresh mats were spread on the
beds, pillows brought, and we lay down to rest after
a cup of thick chocolate and small cakes. Our room
was fragrant with an odor of mangoes, which were
ripening by hundreds under our beds and in all the
comers. It was in this house that the doctor's wife
21 315

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

had boiled water, and washed knives and plates for
fear of the cholera, as we went up to the moun-
tains.

After an hour's rest, I dressed, knowing that our
hosts were anxiously awaiting news and the oppor-
tunity of conversation. There they were, the mother
smiling, but unable to speak any but her native Ilo-
cano, a son and daughter both speaking a few Eng-
lish words, and proudly exhibiting a Ladies' Home
Journal and Leslie's Weekly, The father in black,
mourning the recent death of a son, had just re-
turned from an interview with the presidente and
fiscal. These three gentlemen were somewhat doubt-
ful as to the possibility of getting through to Dagu-
pan. News had been brought that all the bridges
were gone, and the rivers too deep to be forded;
that the rafts for summer travel were not yet built,
and that the mud was over the wagon hubs in places.
They advised us to wait in their town, and send a
messenger on horseback to Dagupan for a launch.
This meant three days' delay, and Santo Tomas was
not more attractive than San Fernando, so that af-
ter much questioning I found that they did not think
there was any danger of losing our lives, so I said,
if they were agreed, we would make the trial. Then
the fiscal and the presidente, and Don Severino, our
host, became as enthusiastic over plans for our jour-
ney as before they had been discouraging. They
sent messengers to call out the natives to build rafts

316

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

and mend roads, announcing their determination to
accompany us on our journey.

By this time it was half-past nine, and Auria had
despairingly announced her belief several times that
we were not going to have any supper. I was just
about to come to the same conclusion when the
mother asked us to share their poor dinner, and we
went to the lower end of the house, where places
for six were laid. Our host and his friends sat in
chairs near us, while our party was accompanied to
the table by the hostess, her son, and daughter. The
dinner was good, and we were waited on by two
servants, but our host seemed to feel that their man-
ner of serving was not quite as it should be, so he
soon came to the table and waited on us himself. I
have never met a Filipino whose face was more in-
dicative of kindness and sincerity than Don Sev-
erino's. He was a pure Ilocano, and mentioned the
fact with pride. After we had eaten the various
courses of meat, omelet, ham, and carabao-milk
custard, our host, who had watched Auria's small
appetite with some anxiety, suddenly bethought him-
self of something that would surely tempt her, a
duke Americano, or sweetmeat. I confess my inter-
est was aroused, and you may imagine our amuse-
ment when a tin of canned com was passed with
powdered sugar. I was able to recover in time to
help myself liberally. Auria, alas! did not respond
to our host's expectations, and left her duke uneaten.

317

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

They told us that it was much liked by them all.
After we had finished, the men sat down, and we
discussed politics; and, finally, at twelve o'clock I
went to bed, knowing we must eat breakfast by
candlelight and be on our way by six. As usual,
after a long evening of conversation in which the
aims and purposes of our government, and the man-
ners and customs of our people are set forth at
length, I am so excited that I cannot sleep, so I
tossed all night on my hard bed, and morning came
too soon.

In the morning, after a cup of coffee and eggs,
we started off, our friends accompanying us on
horseback. In spite of the early hour, the village
band serenaded us, and the town turned out to say
good-by. Where the people came from is hard to
tell, for Santo Tomas was destroyed by the fleeing
insurgents, and not one house was left unburned,
and no one would believe twenty persons could be
gathered together. That day we saw demonstrated
the power of presidentes, and the weight of a rich
man's name. During the night a raft had been built
to carry us across a wide and deep river near Santo
Tomas, and a hundred hombres at least were gath-
ered to help us across. Our day was eventful, and
the roughness of the road had not been exaggerated.
The mud was deep, and the mules could not go
faster than a walk. Getting up and down the river
banks was one of the difficult parts of the trip, for

318

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

they were muddy steep cuts. In one place, where
a mud stream was oozing across the road, our mules
went in with a plunge, and we suddenly were trans-
fixed with terror, for the most heartrending squeals
pierced the air, and a muddy ball rolled about in its
death agony as our driver, startled, too, lashed his
frightened mules, and we bumped out of the hole
and sped away, leaving an entire village in con-
sternation. I thought we ought to return and pay
for the little porker, but the look of disgust mingled
with pity on the face of our driver silenced me.
Our attendant cavaliers had gone on ahead to ar-
range for our next crossing. It was a tiresome trip.
We were constantly packing and unpacking the am-
bulance, and the crossing was tedious, for the balsa
could not carry ambulance and mules, but always
had to make four trips. The natives were all inter-
ested and anxious to help, and watched us carefully
lest we should get wet. Several times we went
down to the seashore, where the tide and river met
and crossed on the shallow bar, but the water came
into the bottom of the ambulance, and if the sea
had not been perfectly calm we could not have
crossed. In fact, without our guides we could never
have made the trip. We reached Dagupan late that
afternoon. What is a four hours' trip in good
weather had taken us ten. We learned later that
everything had been in our favor, or we might have
had serious accidents, for a troop of cavalry, making

319

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

practically the same trip farther inland, lost five
men by drowning. Had I to make the trip again,
I would use a carromata, or native pony, for the
rafts are too small to carry an ambulance in safety,
and are only intended to transport the bull carts and
small native vehicles.

Having reached Dagupan we were put up by our
friends of the army, and left by train for Manila the
next day. I am glad we made the trip, for it showed
what the country is like in the rainy season.

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

AN OUTING IN BATANGAS

November ii, 1903.
T WAS invited last week to go down to Batangas
^ for a visit. I left our house at eight o'clock
Sunday morning, expecting the transport Ingalls to
sail at half-past eight, but, after all our hurry, we
did not get away until noon. The rough weather
in the bay had prevented coaling Saturday, and so
we were delayed. It was hot waiting, and the
smoke from the coaling cascos made the deck ex-
tremely unpleasant. We had a smooth and remark-
ably quick trip, reaching Batangas at seven o'clock
in the evening. It was, of course, quite dark when
we landed, but the moon gave sufficient light to
show that there had been a number of buildings put
up on the shore since we were here last. When we
were in Batangas two years ago there were no fa-
cilities for landing, or any houses on the shore.
Since then a convenient little wharf has been built
for the quartermaster's boats. We were taken on
shore in the general's launch. The native rowers
were rigged out in sailor suits, with ties and sashes,

321

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

an innovation of the new quartermaster. The army
has built a camarine, or warehouse, for storing
goods near the wharf, and there were other signs of
life. General Bell's cottages stand back from the
road, and are surrounded by fine lawns. They
looked very cozy and inviting, with wide-open win-
dows and brightly lighted rooms. There are three
houses, almost like suburban cottages at home, in
the inclosure. In one of these Mrs. Taft and I were
installed. You may see how changed the situation
is when you remember that a year and a half ago
escorts were provided to conduct us from the beach
to the town, and that the insurgents were firing on
its outskirts during the evening of our arrival. Last
night we slept alone in the house with doors and
windows wide open, and a native policeman pa-
trolled the road, passing the house once an hour.
Next morning we went to see the new agricultural
station, and were surprised to find how much had
been accomplished. We brought back some rad-
ishes and lettuce. The latter was good, but the
radishes were very sharp. Okra was growing, and
the pods were very large and tender. Alfalfa seems
to flourish in this soil. It is thought that seeds
sown later, say in December, would grow better.
General Bell has imported a number of American
plows and cultivators.

We met the presidente, an ex-insurrecto, who is
now most friendly to the Americans. We went to

322

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

the famous reconcentrado camp, a beautiful piece of
ground. Some of the nipa shacks are still standing.
The natives who were confined there were so well
satisfied that, when the time came to break up the
camp, the general could not get them to move until
he turned them out by force.

November 12, 1902.

TO-DAY we are resting, for we are worn out
after a long trip we took yesterday to Taal and
the volcano. We started from the house at six
o'clock, an hour later than we had intended, and
were then delayed by sleepy lieutenants, who kept
us waiting for them half an hour longer. Finally,
the men were gathered in, and the Dorety and two
ambulances started about half-past six on the long
drive to the lake of Taal. The first stage of our
journey was through a delightful country. The
freshness of the night was still in the air, and the
trees and bushes were glistening with dew. The
distance between Batangas. and the town of Taal is
about eighteen miles, and there is an almost con-
tinuous row of nipa shacks between the two places.
In all parts of the Islands the ravages of war in the
country are soon repaired. The nipa shacks were
almost all new, and the villages really looked more
prosperous than before the war. It is in the towns
that one realizes the ruin and destruction the war
has caused. The first story of the better-class dwell-

323

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

ings is built of stone, and the second of wood.
There is but one town of importance between Batan-
gas and Taal ; this is Bauang. All the rest of the
way we drove between hedges of hibiscus in full
bloom, growing together in rows with a beautiful
red-leaved plant cut and pruned like evergreen
hedges. The people were all leaning out of their
windows, smiling and waving their hands at us. At
one place where we stopped to rest the mules we
were surrounded by a crowd of women and babies,
who seemingly regarded us with great friendliness.
Either the general has succeeded in pacifying these
people, or they are magnificent actors, but I know
the spontaneous grins that greeted us from every
window could not have been assumed.

Everywhere in the Islands the middle-aged and
old women are ill-favored and ugly, but the young
girls and the children are attractive and often pretty.
The people we saw yesterday were the ugliest
natives I have ever seen. The road for about ten
miles was fairly good, but after that it was full of
holes and mud. I sat on the front seat with the
driver, an American citizen named Manning, who
was born in Seattle. His mother was a Japanese,
and his father an American. It did not make a bad
combination. Manning's face was intelligent and
attractive. He managed his four splendid mules
with skill, and guided us carefully over bad places
in the road with great dexterity. About ten o'clock

324

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

we came in sight of Taal. At a turn in the road
we suddenly saw the bluest sea you can imagine,
and looked down on the white walls and red-tiled
roofs of picturesque houses shining against the sky
and sea. It reminded me of Sicily. There were
the tall palms and cocoanut trees of the tropics, but
the general effect was Italian. Taal was once a
town of much importance ^and wealth, and it was
also celebrated for the culture of its inhabitants.
The city had been terraced, and we saw the ruined
remains of many handsome dwelling houses. A
number that had escaped being burned were in good
repair, and were more pretentious architecturally
than any others I have seen in the Islands. They
had Gothic windows and handsomely carved arch-
ways and facades.

The church of San Martin is, however, the chief
glory of Taal. It is an immense fortresslike pile,
larger than the Manila Cathedral, and far more im-
posing. Its fagade is grim and gloomy, built of a
dark-brown stone in several stories. The interior is
plain, with barrel-arched nave and vaulted aisles.
The pilasters of the nave are ornamented with
Corinthian capitals, but in the aisles the pillars are
surmounted by a plain stone cap. The walls are
decorated in gray fresco, and the effect is cold. The
situation of the church is fine. It stands on high
ground, and dominates the town, Taal must have
been one of the finest cities of the Philippines. Even

325

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

in its dilapidated, ruined state it made an impression
of having been built on a beautiful site with taste
and even magnificence. We only stopped long
enough to see the church, and then started for the
lake. It is a four-mile drive from Taal to the lake,
through a shady lane along a road so bad it was
almost impossible to pull the ambulance through the
mud. It was dangerous in some places, and once,
going down a steep hill, the mules in the rear ambu-
lance nearly ran into us. Finally, we reached the
lake, and saw the famous volcano rising from what
seemed its farther shore ; for, although the volcano
is on an island, from the spot where we first saw it,
it seemed part of the mainland.

I was disappointed, for I had imagined the vol-
cano rising from the middle of the lake like a pyra-
mid. Instead it was low and long, but that it was
a real volcano no one could for a moment doubt.
Although the shore line was green, it rose pale gray,
almost pink, from the trees and shrubs at its base.
Its sides were deeply scored as if plowed in furrows,
and the crater rim was cut and jagged. From the
mainland it seemed to lie about a mile away, but it
took us an hour in a swift little launch to reach the
island. We began the ascent at half-past eleven
o'clock. We were in the tropics under the deadly
rays of the vertical sun at noon, starting to climb a
steep mountain, and yet I have taken a hotter and
more tiresome walk in California many a time. At

326

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

first we forced our way through thick underbrush,
tall grass, and a prickly thorny growth. Two na-
tives with bolos went before us to cut the path, but
we had to push the undergrowth through and
scramble over stones. The natives lost their way
several times, and we were obliged to retrace our
steps. It was not pleasant and the way seemed long,
but at the end of about half an hour we came out of
the bushes on to the direct trail up the moun-
tain. Once out of the undergrowth it was cooler.
The walking was good till we neared the top,
for the trail climbed up a bed of cinders glued
together with lava. The last fifteen minutes of
the trip was steep, and we sank over our shoes in
ashes, but finally we gained the top. I almost lost
my breath as I came out on the rim of the crater
and beheld the width and depth of the great sunken
space.

Then there happened a wonderful thing just as if
it had been prepared especially for us. As the last
member of our party struggled up to the rim of the
crater we heard a deep thundering sound, and then
slowly and majestically there arose from the bottom
of the crater an immense fountain of white mud
which pressed up and up and then shot out column
after column of great black cinders, while we all
gazed in horror-stricken fascination at what seemed
an eruption that would never end. Crowning the
fountain of mud was a cloud of white sulphurous

327

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

steam which floated off high above our heads; We
were all stunned to silence at the magnificent dis-
play, too amazed to be frightened, although General
Bell confesses now that he began seriously to calcu-
late our chances of escape. As we were beginning
to feel the tension of the situation the great fountain
slowly and majestically subsided. General Bell
thinks it did not last a minute. It seemed as if it
were hours. After the eruption we stayed some
time at the top of the crater. Our muchachos went
down to the bottom. It was so far below us we
could scarcely follow them with our eyes. It took
them over an hour to return. The crater is said to
be the size of the walled city of Manila : it looked
larger. There are three lakes at the bottom filled
with a white liquid which sends up steam clouds con-
tinually. The crater floor is not flat ; it contains val-
leys and a small hill, cliffs and abysses. The walls
are perpendicular on two sides and about three hun-
dred feet high. The two other sides are sloping and
covered with ashes and cinders. The crater is two
or three times as long as it is wide. We waited a
long time, hoping to see another eruption of steam
and mud, but finally hunger and the hot* sun drove
us down to the lake.

It was quite as fatiguing going down as it was
going up, for the sun was hotter. Finally, the launch
was reached and we soon had our luncheon spread
out on the deck. The lake reflected the hot sun and

328

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

the shores seemed to swim in the heat haze, but
there was a Uttle breeze and we ate and drank the
good things provided with immense appetites.
There was a jolly company of young lieutenants and
a captain, whose rank made him a little more sub-
dued, so lunch, company, and good appetites com-
bined with a smooth sail made our trip back a pleas-
ant one. The scenery of the lake is fine. The
shores are not high, but there is one beautiful moun-
tain rising from them in perpendicular majesty. It
looked much higher than it really is, and was cov-
ered with trees and foliage of all kinds. Our drive
back to Taal was less alarming to the timid, as we
knew the road and had confidence in our mules. We
took the general's launch at Taal and went back to
Batangas by water. Taal, as I saw it from the
launch, rising in terraces above the shore line, with
its white-walled houses smothered in palms and co-
coanut and crowned by its dark fortresslike cathe-
dral, is a most picturesque town. It was moonlight
during the trip back and a fresh breeze sprang up.
We passed beautiful little islands and a sheltered
nook of a harbor oflf Mindoro. The music of a good
Filipino quartet added a finishing touch to a de-
lightful day.

You have heard the sensational rumors of the
" harrying of Batangas," the reconcentrado camps,
and the "Weyler-like methods of General Bell."
The more I see of the general and the more I see

329

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

of the natives the more I am convinced that he un-
derstands how to manage them. The great question
now is how to get the people back to work. They
have become so accustomed to loafing that it is
almost impossible to get them to do an3rthing. Ba-
tangas was the garden spot of Luzon. It was cov-
ered with fine haciendas of sugar, coffee, tobacco,
and rice. Now it is a jungle. We did not see a
man working between Batangas and Taal, nor a cul-
tivated field. The common people were not poor
before the war, they all had saved money and buried
it. For three years they have been living on what
the soil produces spontaneously and their savings.
Now they are destitute, but they do not want to
work. In towns where soldiers have been quartered,
almost the entire population depends on the money
spent by the government and soldiers. The town of
Batangas is so prosperous it is difficult to get a
muchacho, or a man to do any kind of work. Small
saloons and places for selling beer and sweets are
seen everywhere, and it certainly does not argue
well for the future of this country that we are teach-
ing these natives the use of whisky. The present
prosperity comes from the presence of the military,
and it is a prosperity that will decline as soon as the
garrison is removed. One of the many reasons why
towns where soldiers are being withdrawn have
petitioned that they may remain, is the fact that the
money spent by the soldiers and civilian employees

330

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

supports the population. This is something they like
better than tilling the fields.

The Batangas church is a picturesque building
with an unusually well-proportioned dome. The
town is large, but otherwise the buildings are insig-
nificant. There are apparently no fine residences.
The governor, Senor Luz, is a very interesting man.
He is almost totally deaf, which perhaps accounts
for his pathetic expression. In spite of his deafness
he has learned to read and write English and French
remarkably well. He writes what he wishes to say
with astonishing rapidity and ease, expressing him-
self with perfect clearness, although not always idio-
matically. His wife is a native of Lipa, a town the
Filipinos used to call the " Paris of the Orient."
She finds Batangas very triste. There are few, if
any, really cultivated families here, and no society
life among the natives. She mourns for Lipa, and
the fine residence the governor owns in that town.
They live in a poor house in Batangas, as they can-
not afford a better one.

November 14, 1902.

YESTERDAY we took another long trip to
Macolod^ a high mountain overlooking the lake
of Taal and the volcano. We made an early start
again in ambulance and the Dorety wagon. It was
practically the same party with the addition of a
tall, dark, rather handsome captain, a bit older and
23 331

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

more sophisticated than the lieutenants. Horses and
two pack mules had been sent the day before to
Cuenca, a town at the foot of the mountain. We
drove over the Taal Batangas road as far as
Bauang; there we turned off into a charming culti-
vated country. The natives were apparently not as
lazy as they were along the Batangas road. Men
were plowing with little humpback bulls. There
were well-cultivated fields of com and sugar, and
plantations of cocoa and coffee. The houses looked
better kept, and were surrounded by gardens. All
of the population were not hanging out of the win-
dows. Little round-eyed children, either totally
naked or clad in a short shirt of thin stuff, came
peering out from hibiscus hedges and then darted
back, half smiling and half afraid. It was market
day, and the road was full of women on foot or
seated on little ponies between two great baskets of
garden produce or heaps of g^reen grass. Strings of
ponies laden with immense round baskets filled with
red clay jars crowded close into the hedges as we
went swinging along. There were scores of old
women and young girls with baskets of various
sizes and shapes on their heads. Their red and blue
skirts were stiff and well ironed, and their camisa
and handkerchiefs white as snow. Young g^rls led
small cows and one looked as alarmed as the other
at our immense mules and big, lumbering ambu-
lances. One young dude, sitting by the roadside

332

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

caressing his fighting cock, wore a pair of Prussian
blue velvet slippers and a big double hibiscus over
his ear. We saw women spinning thread on the
square, uncovered veranda which is a characteristic
feature of the houses in this region. Through the
windows we saw old women at looms, and several
front yards were gay with long pieces of freshly
dyed pink and red cloth drying on stretchers.

Every moment there was something new to de-
light the eye. Our road ascended about five hun-
dred feet between Batangas and Cuenca, and we
were surprised to find what a difference there was
in the climate of the two places. Cuenca at ten
o'clock with the sun shining was cool and breezy.
We found our horses saddled and waiting, the
mules ready to be loaded with the luncheon and a
dozen young soldiers prepared for a picnic. It was
my second attempt to ride an American horse, and
I know an elephant could not seem higher than the
big cavalry horse assigned to me. I thought I could
never get up my courage to mount the first day, but
yesterday I did not mind so much and I had a better
horse. We " hiked " up hills, through tall grass,
down deep ravines, over gullies, and yet I am here
to tell the tale, and am ready to do it all over again
to-morrow. General Bell always avoids a trail that
he has once been over and strikes off at right angles
whenever he comes to a well-beaten path, so I know
.we did not take easy trails yesterday. In fact, the

333

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

laugh was on him, for he was the only one who had
to dismount at a bad place, where his horse fell and
could not get up. My horse gave me cold chills of
terror, for he had a way of going uphill like a grass-
hopper. When we reached our destination on the
mountain the breeze was cool and the view glorious.
We could look down into the crater of the Taal vol-
cano and see the Laguna de Bay off to the north,
where Manila lay. The day was perfect, and the
volcano, the little islands, and the nearer shore were
reflected in the surface of the lake. The light was
not too glaring and we found a delightful place for
luncheon where there was shade, a good view, and
a breeze. When one looks at the mountains of the
Philippines and sees bare rocks or g^reen slopes they
always seem uninhabited, but let him climb the hills
or mountains and natives spring up, as it were, out
of the ground. We had not seen a human being on
our way up Macolod, but scarcely were we seated
on the ground when half a dozen women and small
girls and babies, boys and men appeared smiling and
bowing. They stood at a respectful distance, eyes
and mouths wide open during the three or more
hours of our stay. They live in nipa huts and raise
com and tobacco on the mountainsides, and an
American woman is a strange sight. On our way
back we took another trail to Cuenca, then a fast
trot of thirteen miles to Batangas with a gorgeous
sunset in the west and the blue mountains of Min-

334

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAUS WIFE

doro in front of us. It was, if anything, a finer trip
than the one to Taal, with the exception of the vol-
cano and the eruption.

Batangas, November 15, 1902.

YESTERDAY we had a novel experience, a trip
down the river on a carabao raft. I am sure
it is only in the Philippine Islands that one can do
that, and even here not many people enjoy it. We
went up the river on horseback to a point about four
miles above Batangas, where the government rice is
brought on rafts for distribution into the interior.
We had a delightful cool ride through a long, shady
lane. Once we met a carabao, a small boy, and a
ridiculous looking little calf. The small boy fled,
but the carabao stood her ground and, remembering
the tale of a whole company of infantry being routed
by one of these animals, we wisely halted till the
irate mother decided to retreat. These immense
creatures with their enormous horns are always for-
midable.

The raft on which we went down the river was
made of bamboo poles lashed together, covered with
mats. An awning of green boughs was decorated
with flowers in Filipino style. The carabao does not
pull the raft from the shore but is yoked on in front
and wades or swims in the river, pulling the load
behind. A small boy stood on the front of the raft,
a knotted cord in his hand, one end of which was

335

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

passed through the ring in the carabao's nose.
Sometimes the water was so shallow we could see all
but the legs of the bulky beast, then again he would
sink into deep water and only his waving horns and
the tip of his nose were visible. When swimming,
carabaos move their heads with their great horns
from side to side and make a snuffling noise. The
Batangas river runs through a narrow gorge with
bamboo-covered banks which for the most part are
quite steep. We floated down for an hour by day-
light. Then the full moon gave us light, and the red
glow of a brilliant sunset made that peculiar combi-
nation of moon and sunlight so difficult for a painter
to reproduce. Before dark we saw some pretty
scenes at the fords : a girl in a blue skirt carrying
a red water jar on her head, a train of carabao rafts
loaded with government rice, and the water carriers,
whose unique method of taking water from the
river and springs is worth noting. All along the
road one meets men and boys carrying long thick
poles of bamboo tied together at the bottom like the
letter A reversed (v), the apex down, and the cross
bar on their backs. These are filled with water and
hold from two to four buckets. The men place
them against the walls and hedges when they wish
to rest, and it certainly is an ingenious way to carry
water if a somewhat tiresome one.

The day ended with a ball given in our honor by
the city officials. We received beautifully written

336

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

invitations to a " modest " reception, but knew, of
course, that the " baile " would be the best the town
could afford. The city hall was elaborately deco-
rated on our arrival and the main room was filled
with guests. There were all classes, including in-
fants and maids ; the latter crouched on the floor be-
hind the chairs of their mistresses. There were
small girls in big European hats, and others in
beaver-tail skirts looking like miniature old women.
We made our gjand entry on the arms of " high
officials,'/ and all the notables were presented to us.
This " baile " was much more amusing than many
at which I have assisted, for they prepared a pro-
gramme and it was very well done. First came a
song of welcome, written by some budding poet, in
which the refrain " Bien venida a Mrs. Taft " was
given in old-fashioned oratorio style. An oration
celebrating the Civil Commission was delivered in
eloquent Spanish. Then came an inevitable rigodon
danced by the officials and ourselves, and after that
native and Spanish dances and zarzualas alternating
with twosteps and waltzes.

To-day we start for Lipa, where we spend the
night and where another ball is being prepared for
us. It is said the ladies of Lipa will wear their cele-
brated diamonds on this occasion.

337

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

Sattirday, November 15, 1902.

ON Friday night we decided that we must start
for Manila the following day. General Bell
arranged to go with us, and, hearing that the town
of Lipa proposed to give us a " baile," we thought
it would be interesting to accept the invitation and
stay overnight in that town.

Ever since coming to the Philippines we have
heard of the splendors of Lipa. Formerly the in-
habitants were rich and lived in great style. Society
was very gay, and the diamonds of the ladies of
Lipa were celebrated throughout the Archipelago.
The source of all this wealth was coffee. About ten
years ago a pest killed the plants, and since that
time the splendor of Lipa has gradually decayed.
During the insurrection Lipa was one of the towns
that gave most trouble to the Americans. The in-
habitants aided and encouraged their people in every
way, and General Bell was obliged to shut up a large
number of citizens and keep many more under strict
surveillance. This made the people of Lipa bitter
against the army. The Americans gave a ball after
the pacification of Batangas when General Wheaton
and General Chaffee went through Lipa, but none of
the ladies of Lipa's four hundred was present, so
General Bell was curious to see who would attend
our ball.

It was arranged to leave Batangas about three
o'clock in the afternoon and drive in the Dorcty

338

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

wagon to San Jose, ten miles distant, and from there
to ride horseback the rest of the way. Mrs. Taft,
the general's aide, and I were to ride. The general
and the governor, who was escorting us through his
province, preferred to drive. The good-bys to Mrs.
Bell and Batangas were said with much regret. We
had enjoyed our visit and were sorry it was over.
The Dorety ride was not pleasant, although the road
was pretty good, and all but the last four miles was
smooth and well macadamized. The four miles,
however, were full of holes, and we could not go
faster than a walk. The roads in the Islands are
difficult to keep in order, for they are worn into deep
ruts by carts, the wheels of which revolve with their
axles and grind into the macadam. The stone is not
of the best quality, and it is soon crushed into pow-
der. Then come the tropical rains and wash it
away. The first cost is considerable when one must
use the so-called cheap labor. In some parts of the
Islands every mile costs five thousand pesos. The
men are paid at the rate of twenty-five cents, gold,
a day, but they are lazy and inefficient.

We found our horses ready at San Jose, and I
mounted a beautiful bay horse called Bob, and we
started on the Lipa train in gay spirits. We went
through canons and over hills. We had to push
our way through bushes and trees, and Mrs. Taft
lost her hat twice, and I was nearly strangled by a
big rope of tough green vine. Now and again the

339

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

patfi widened out and we could trot or canter. Fi-
nally, Lipa came in sight and at first we were much
disappointed, for it looked mean and dilapidated.
Pigs ran about the weed-grown streets, washing
hung on broken-down garden walls.

We turned a comer into a narrow street and
stopped at the gate of a large house, the headquar-
ters of the garrison in Lipa. The tales of the fine
houses were true, for we entered a marble-flagged
piazza and found ourselves in a hall with quite a
palatial staircase. Two wooden knights in armor,
somewhat the worse for wear, stood in the corners
and a bronze chandelier hung from the ceiling. All
the rooms were large and well furnished. Being
left to ourselves a short time, we made the most of
our freedom.

As soon as we had taken off our riding habits we
started out alone to see the town. As we wet-e walk-
ing along, looking at the houses, a young Filipino
saw us and stepped up, saying in very good English :
" Madams, nlay I assist you ? " We told him we
were looking about the town and wished to see the
church and some of the fine houses, so he joined us
and we found him an excellent guide. The church
has a fine marble floor and is large but not beautiful.
The houses interested me more. They almost all
have gardens and back yards. They are not built
with the stables underneath, although the entrance to
one of the finest houses was through the barnyard.

340

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

They are built in many cases three stories high, in-
cluding an entresol. We went to see a famous gar-
den and to get a view from the tower of a handsome
house. There we found an agreeable lady and her
very pretty daughter. The garden was in Italian
style, quaint and stately. From the tower we had
a glorious view of the town, the mountains, a sun-
set, and a rising moon. While we were enjoying the
view a servant announced that the presidente, conse-
jales, and principales were waiting for us in the
sala ; so we went downstairs and found six or seven
solemn gentlemen who shook hands and through
their interpreter, whose English was convulsing,
" welcomed us hearty " to Lipa and invited us to
the ball. They then shook hands a second time and
expressed their desire to escort us to the officers'
quarters, where we were staying. So we started in
procession and solemnly paraded the streets to the
headquarters, where we shook hands for the third
time and exchanged the proper compliments.

When we were dressed and ready for our dinner
another delegation of about twenty young girls
waited on us to pay their respects and welcome us to
Lipa. They were like a flock of tropical birds, as
they fluttered about. The invitation to the ball was
recited in verse by one of the girls. We dined at the
officers' mess, and at half-past eight went to the
" baile." The house was large and handsomely fur-
nished and the elite of Lipa was there in brilliant

341

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

blue, pink, and green gowns, but alas ! the celebrated
diamonds and pearls were not in evidence. There
were many more girls than men, and only a few of
the company danced. There was one youth, the cen-
ter of attraction. He wore an evening suit with a
buttonhole bouquet. He parted his hair in the mid-
dle, thrust into his vest was a pair of yellow kid
gloves, and in his eye a monocle. This was not so
extraordinary as his manners. " Ah ! madams, good
evening to you, how admirable are your appear-
ances," was his greeting as he struck an attitude in
front of us, hand on hip with one foot pointed out-
ward. He posed all the time, sometimes gazing
fiercely into space with arms folded, or listening
with eyes turned to heaven during a sentimental
song. The little mestizas in blue and pink giggled
and fairly collapsed with nervous joy when he
placed his eyeglass in his eye and planted himself in
front of them. We danced the rigodon twice; the
second time a new figure was introduced called
the paseo, in which each lady promenaded around
the room with all the men in turn as partners. The
general's aide was the only American dancing, and
there were at least fifteen Filipino youths who
seemed deaf and dumb, but " ChoUy," the dude, re-
marked : " Here we are again, madam, it is a most
comfortable occasion," and another youth said in a
painfully labored tone : " Here-in-Filipinas-we-spik-
much-English." The supper was very good, and we

342

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

all sat down to eat it in the big dining room. Gen-
eral Bell was in his element. They were all there,
his ancient enemies for the women of Lipa were
more incorrigible insurrectos than the men. He
danced with the girls and enticed the old ladies into
taking a turn ; he talked and he joked, and his aide,
poor boy, following the general's lead, whirled the
girls of Lipa about like a steam engine. At twelve
o'clock we were worn out and persuaded our hos-
tesses that we must go, in view of our early morning
departure. But the general, after escorting us to our
quarters, took his aide back to the ball and I believe
he did more " pacifying " that night than he had ac-
complished during his entire campaign.

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FILIPINOS

Manila, December 15, 1902.

YOU have often asked me to write you in detail
my impressions of the Filipinos. I have de-
layed doing this, as I have felt my opinions were
necessarily immature. Now, however, before leav-
ing the Islands I will try to sum up as well as I can
the results of my observations. But even after a
residence of two and a half years this is a difficult
task, for almost every statement one can make con-
cerning the Filipinos must be qualified, and what is
true of one tribe is not true of another. There is far
more difference between the Igorrote of Benguet
and the Tagalog of Manila than between the latter
and ourselves.

There are in Luzon many different tribes, and it
is surprising to take a map and see how small a part
of the island belongs to the so-called civilized inhabi-
tants. North of Manila, along the coast, there is a
narrow strip of country containing large towns;
some few are important, as, for example, San Fer-
nando and Vigan, and there are several lesser

344

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

pueblos, but back of these and north of the lower
part of the island is a great section absolutely un-
touched, except here and there by civilization. This
is the region occupied by the Igorrotes and kindred
tribes. There are vast mountain ranges and im-
mense forests where no civilized man lives and about
which we know comparatively little. In one of
these provinces the famous head hunters live, but
the accounts of them are vague and unreliable. The
Igorrotes of Benguet are among the semibarbarous
non-Christian tribes. The Igorrotes are not as stu-
pid as the Negritos, another barbarous tribe, and
they live in houses, while many of the Negritos live
in trees, and look almost like animals. Add to these
and other barbarous tribes the Moro population, and
one can see how complicated' is the question of gov-
ernment here. To meet an educated Filipino and
hear him talk one naturally thinks the Filipinos are
ready for self-government, forgetting that among
the population of seven millions there is a mere
handful who can be compared with him.

Of course when one talks about Filipinos he
means, as a rule, the Tagalogs, and often his state-
ments are true only of the inhabitants of Manila. It
is almost inevitable that this should be so, for few
have an opportunity to study closely the people of
all the provinces of Luzon or the inhabitants of other
islands. There is no doubt that the Tagalogs are,
to use the common expression, smart. They memo-

345

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

rize quickly and learn certain things readily and
they are imitative. A number have very good abil-
ity, but the majority are half educated, and if we
see the dangers of half education in our own coun-
try, how much greater is the danger here.

In the lower classes and the higher there are traits
that make the strenuous New Englander or even
the more easy-going Califomian impatient, and at
times inclined to say : " It's no use ; one can never
teach them anything," but the fact still remains that
unless one has a race prejudice the Filipino is thor-
oughly likable.

Naturally the servant class is the one with which
we come in closest contact, and we get the poorest
specimens here in Manila ; but they are not less effi-
cient than are our untrained servants at home. They
polish the center of the floor and leave the corners
untouched. The dust accumulates behind books,
and the spider spins his web unmolested on the chan-
delier ; but when his attention is called to these mat-
ters the Filipino smiles as if he thought it a joke and
cheerfully performs the neglected duty, and as
promptly forgets it next day. They are not crea-
tures of routine, nor are they thorough in the work
they have to do, but they are neither sulky nor saucy.
They go quietly about the house with bare feet, and
although they break dishes one never hears them
slamming doors or rattling china as an indication of
ill temper. I am now speaking of the servants the

346

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Americans hire, who are not in the least the typical
Filipino servants. A Filipina of my acquaintance
spoke of a certain coachman as one of those imper-
tinent fellows who had been spoiled by Americans ;
she would have none of that kind.

From my friends here I learn that much of the
patriarchal system of living still prevails even in
Manila. In some large houses there are from
twenty to thirty dependents of all degrees from poor
relations to cooks and scullions. These persons live
about the house sleeping in corners, clothed and fed
by the mistress. They marry, have children, and
raise them in a harum-scarum way that would drive
a New England woman to an insane asylum. Again
and again I have seen in the finest houses small
naked children asleep behind the parlor door, while
large-eyed placid women nursed babes quite un-
abashed as they crouched on the floor in the hall-
ways. These servants have their home, their clothes,
food, and from three to five pesos a month. In a
way, I suppose, they earn this money as they non-
chalantly polish the hardwood floors or carelessly
flap the dust from the centers of tables and chairs.
They sit on the floor in kitchens in front of a pan
of water and wash the dishes that are piled up
around them, and stack them edgeways along the
wall to dry. Surely their ways are not ours, and it
is a shock to see a kitchen in the heat of preparation
for a dinner of which one is to partake later. It re-
23 347

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

quires some skill to pass between the various dishes
being prepared on the floor, where cats and dogs
and babies, meats, fruits, and vegetables seem hope-
lessly jumbled together. One forgets about it later
when a good dinner comes forth from the chaos.
Many of these servants have lived all their lives in
one family. They feel themselves dependent on
their masters and the idea of their going away or
being dismissed never occurs to either master or
servant. There is, consequently, a family feeling
between them and a freedom of intercourse that we,
democrats though we are, would not tolerate. A
friend told me his head servant always remonstrates
with him when he disapproves of any course of ac-
tion, and sometimes I have witnessed an altercation
between a mistress and a maid when the maid pre-
vailed. At one house, I remember, there was a dif-
ference of opinion at dinner as to the kind of wine
to be served, and the servant had his way; yet they
are not considered impertinent by their masters,
who say we spoil our servants.

In the upper classes there is the attraction of
placid nature enlivened by a gayety that is almost
universal. Sometimes I look with envy at the un-
troubled faces of my friends, at their cahn eyes and
smooth, unwrinkled foreheads. One evening I went
to a Filipino ball given on Washington's Birthday,
where a great many Americans were present. Even
while dancing our women had a certain strained

348

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

fixed look, in contrast to the contented nerveless
faces of the Filipina girls.

No matter how friendly our intercourse with the
Filipinos, there is always the restraint natural to our
peculiar relations with them and the difference of
language. I find them reluctant to let me know just
what they think on a subject, say of political in-
terest. This is natural, for they never seem to for-
get the fear of compromising themselves that three
hundred years of Spanish rule have impressed upon
them. Yet even on questions of no significance they
like you to express an opinion for them to agree
with. If one can get really intimate with them, as
I did with some well-educated girls, they will now
and then forget the ingrained secretiveness of their
race and give you a glimpse of opinions that are per-
haps all the stronger for being suppressed. I re-
member one hot afternoon taking a siesta on a big
Filipino bed, with three or four placid-looking
plump girls lying on mats on the floor. We had
exhausted the characteristics of the other guests in
the house, and our conversation turned on the insur-
rection. Perhaps because they liked me, and possi-
bly because they trusted me, they gave me the his-
tory of their experiences during the early days of the
uprising when their family was with the insurgents.
They talked as our own great-grandmothers might
have talked, when they were girls, about the War of
the Revolution. At the time of our conversation

349

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

there was trouble in Batangas and our troops were
carrying out a somewhat severe policy. It was easy
to see where the girls' sympathies lay, and yet they
were not in favor of the war. They were intelligent
and knew it meant ruin to them and their family
if the Americans abandoned the Islands; they
wished the Filipinos to stop fighting, yet, while they
were fighting, blood would tell, and they wanted the
insurrectos to win.

This is, I think, the key to the situation, and the
reason we have for hope that now peace is estab-
lished it will be lasting. While their people were
actually in the field, human nature triumphed over
any theory, and even the loyal Filipino men and
women sympathized with and often aided their
friends and brethren. Now that all is peaceful and
their feelings are not aroused by tales of suffering
and war, there seems no reason to fear another out-
break. If one wishes to see eyes flash and cheeks
burn, he has only to introduce the subject of the
friars. This is especially the case in the provinces.
It is a natural hatred which these people bear to the
Spanish friar, brought about by centuries of tyranny
and oppression that makes the blood boil when one
listens to stories told by those who have experi-
enced it.

The Filipino women have great business ability,
and much of the buying and selling is done by them.
This trading instinct must be racial, for it has not

350

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

been eradicated by Spanish dominion or by the tend-
ency of a subject race to imitate its superior. In
many of the richest families of Manila there is a
business of some kind carried on by the women of
the family. They sell just, pina, perfumes, or even
tobacco and imported goods. Often where the hus-
band is a professional man the wife will add consid-
erably to the income by a business she conducts
independently. The whole people is quite un-Span-
ish in this trait, for I have often been told by intel-
ligent Filipinos that they have no leisure class. We
are accustomed to speak of the Filipinos as lazy and
endowed with an ingrained dislike for work of any
kind, but the fact remains that I do not know a sin-
gle family or a prominent man here who has not a
profession or who is not engaged in business of
some kind. Trade carries no stigma as it does in
Europe, or even in our own country for that matter,
and you may meet the woman who has sold you
jusi in the morning at a ball in the evening. Of
course there are some exclusive Spanish sets, for
Manila is full of cliques, but I have never heard so-
cial standing explained on the ground of wealth or
leisure. One must, of course, not understand by
this manual labor, for which a Filipino has great
scorn.

The Filipinos are extravagantly fond of dancing.
They will sometimes dance from two in the after-
noon until four the next morning. A Filipino told

351

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

me that in the old days parties often went to spend
a fiesta week in the country and danced all the week.
In every small town or village there is a band, and
the natives play very well. The Filipino's singing
voice is seldom sweet, and so far I have not seen
anyone who could be called an actor. On the other
hand, there are several poets and composers of mu-
sic, and a number of painters. Operettas in Tagalog
have been produced. There is a good orchestra in
Manila, called the Rizal^Orchestra, that plays classi-
cal music. Filipino society has not yet settled down
to its normal condition in the Islands, and life is not
as gay, they tell me, as it was before the wars.

The Filipinos do not find us a very lively people.
Our habit of leaving a ball at twelve or even before
surprises them. All the social functions begin late ;
the theaters seldom before nine, as no one dines
before eight.

The dinners of the better class are elaborate and
even elegant A complimentary dinner should, they
think, not be given to less than twenty or thirty
guests. I have sat down in a private house to a
dinner of forty covers. Although their entertaining
is lavish, the Filipinos live rather simply every day,
and in the provinces, even among the rich, rice
forms the larger part of their daily diet, to which
fish is added, or a little meat.

Many of the girls are notable cooks and take as
much pride in their baking as our own housekeepers.

352

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

Each little town seems to be noted for its own
special delicacy, and we have often been, regaled
with cakes from Pampanga or Bataan, and I remem-
ber a tin of most delicious brittle cookies sent from
that ill-famed island of Samar.

As to their treachery and cruelty I cannot, of
course, speak from experience, but I know that fair-
minded American officers have told me again and
again that when once you convince a Filipino that
the American means what he says and is trying to
help him, he is as loyal as our own people. The
Filipinos are not harsh with their children, in fact
they arc too lenient. Of course, they love a cock-
fight, and carry pigs upside down tied by the feet
to a pole; they beat balky horses and jerk carabaos
around by a ring in the nose. Some insurrectos
have mutilated the dead, and some are reported to
have tortured prisoners. Yet, at this time, when
there is so much excitement over the court martials
of army officers and retaliation is the plea in many
cases, there are so few authentic cases where Ameri-
cans have been victims of inhuman practices that it
is quite significant. On the other hand, there are
many American soldiers who have been treated well
and released when taken prisoner. On the whole,
including all the races but the Moros, I am sure they
can be classed as naturally timid and peace loving.
They are, nevertheless, easily imposed on, and when
led by men of strong will are often aroused to deeds

353

Digitized by

Google

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

they would not ordinarily commit. The Filipinos
are accused of being naturally untruthful, and this
may possibly be so, but it is a habit engendered by
centuries of intercourse with a people who governed
them with selfish aims. They have become accus-
tomed to answer questions or make statements as
they think will best please their superiors. If once
a Filipino understands that you really want to know
the fact, and he is not afraid of compromising him-
self, he will tell the truth. Children in the schools
when asked why they have told an untruth about
some trivial matter, have answered that they did not
wish to be impolite.

I believe time will show favorable results of the
government's work here, provided Congress con-
tinues the policy begun by President McKinley. One
of the unfortunate features of the situation is the
lack of confidence on the part of the Filipinos in the
stability of the present regime. When visiting, anti-
imperialists express their S3rmpathy with " the he-
roic defenders of independence " ; when American
newspapers announce that negotiations are in prog-
ress to sell the Islands to Japan; when enlightened
Americanistos believe that a democratic President
would immediately order every soldier from the
Philippines and restore the Islands to the Insur-
gents; and when the recommendation of Governor
Taft, who knows the needs of the Filipinos quite as
well as congressional delegates who have spent

354

Digitized by

Google

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

three weeks in the Archipelago, are turned down or
so modified as to lose their effectiveness; it is not
surprising that even the loyal Filipinos feel a certain
suspicion of our sincerity, and hesitate to accept
with enthusiasm the policy of the American Govern-
ment. It is also difficult to make the Filipinos be-
lieve in our theory of political equality, when so
many Americans are disposed to emphasize by their
conduct the idea of social inequality. In spite of all
these drawbacks, opposition to the Americans is cer-
tainly decreasing. There may, perhaps, never be a
warm personal feeling for us as a people, for we are
of a different race. But gradually the memory of
the wars will fade away; the arrogance of victory
and the sense of humiliation engendered by defeat
will be forgotten. The moral and material advan-
tages of the Union will, in the course of time, be-
come clearer to both parties, and there is every
reason to expect they will live in peace and profit
by their friendly cooperation.

(1)

THE END

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

Google

A MOTOR-BOAT STORY.

Across Europe in a Motor-Boat.

By Henry C. Rowland, author of "In the
Shadow/' etc. Illustrated by upward of fifty
sketches. i2mo. Decorated cloth, gilt top, $2.00 net.

This is a delightful narrative of an absolutely
unique trip. Mr. Rowland and his two friends had
a motor-boat constructed in London for a seven-
thousand-mile inland voyage which should circle
Europe by way of the Seine, the Rhine, the Danube,
and the Black Sea. The struggles with the motor,
which develops a degree of perversity almost human,
the innumerable humorous and exciting incidents,
and the final terrific adventure which ends the narra-
tive with a shipwreck in the Black Sea, make it the
most novel and entertaining book of travel of recent
years. The talented author is well known through
half a dozen books and many magazine stories. The
style of the volume is very attractive. Some fifty
sketches are sprinkled through the text.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. NEW YORK.

Digitized by

Google

BIOGRAPHY OF PORFIRIO DfA2L

By Rafael de Zayas EnrIquez. i2mo. Orna-
mental cloth, $1.50 net; postage additional.

Mr. de Zayas Enriquez is a member of the Mexican
Senate and has known President Diaz for a great many
years. This biography differs from other biographies of
Diaz in that it not only tells the story of the Mexican Presi-
dent's life, but sketches the history of Mexico for the last
seventy-five years and tells in a very sane manner what
good and bad influences are likely to result from the extra-
ordinary dictatorship of Diaz. The early part of the book
presents a physical and moral portrait of Diaz, his parent-
age, character, soldierly qualities, his friends, and the
episodes of his early life. Then follow the development
of his character as a hero and military man through the
war with the United States, Diaz leaving the priesthood
to become a soldier. Afterwards comes the war against
Maximilian and the part which Diaz played in that struggle.
Finally, the biography deals with Diaz as President ; the
work that he has done; his despotic rule; the unquestioned
good which has come to Mexico because of it, and also the
unquestioned injury of such a rule. The volume closes
with a philosophical consideration as to whether in the end
Mexico will benefit or not from Diaz's Presidency.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

Digitized by

Google

THE LEADING NOVEL OF TODAY.

The Fighting Chance.

By Robert W. Chambers. Illustrated by A. R
Wenzell. i2mo. Ornamental Cloth, $1.50.

In ^'The Fighting Chance" Mr. Chambers has taken
for his hero, a young fellow who has inherited with hii
wealth a craving for liquor. The .heroine has inherited a
certain rebelliousness and dangerous caprice. The two^
meeting on the brink of ruin, fight out their battles, two
weaknesses joined with love to make a strength. It is re-
freshing to find a story about the rich in which all the
women are not sawdust at heart, nor all the men satyrs.
The rich have their longings, their ideals, their regrets,
as well as the poor; they have their struggles and inherited
evils to combat It is a big subject, painted with a big
brush and a big heart.

" After * The House of Mirth ' a New York society novel
has to be very good not to suffer fearfully by comparison.
'The Fighting Chance' is very good and it does not
tViSti,**— Cleveland Plain Dealer.

'* There is no more adorable person in recent fiction
than Sylvia Landis." — New York Evening Sun.

" Drawn with a master hand." — Toledtf Blade.

'*An absorbing tale which claims the reader's interest
to the end." — Detroit Free Press.

** Mr. Chambers has written many brilliant stories, but
this is his masterpiece." — Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

Digitized by

Google

BT THE AUTHOR OF ""THE SECOND GENERATION-^

Light Fingered Gentry.

A Novel by David Graham Phillips.
Illustrated. i2mo. Cloth, $1.50.

You will hunt long and far before you find a redder-
blooded novel than this. It is the latest by the gifted
author of " The Second Generation." The hero is a real
man — ^a man's man — and that is the truest type of woman's
man. He is a hard fighter, and he has a hard fight to save
himself from disaster, from disgrace, and from losing Her.
But she was worth the fight.

The Baltimore News says : " An author never is more
satisfying than when his latest book is his best — and this
may be said sincerely of ' Light Fingered Gentry/ The two
important characters are unique — a divorced pair who meet
later, after the woman has developed magnificently; and
the romance which ensues gives the book a luminous side."

^' David Graham Phillips is the master American novel-
ist of to-day." — Senator Albert J, Beveridge,

** Mr. Phillips handles his big subject with a vigor and
force that is convincing, and blends it so happily with the
romance that he has produced a tale of absorbing interest
second to none of the fiction of the year."

—Fittshurgh Dispatch.

" It is a good thing for any country to have such novels
as Mr. Phillips writes find readers and listeners among its
men and women." — Seattle Fost-Inielligencer.

" The book is full of practical philosophy, which makes
it worth careful reading, for the author has studied life
carefully and his conclusions are those of the expert ana-
lyst of motive and character." — San Francisco Chronicle.

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

Google

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Texts

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "Unofficial letters of an official's wife"

See other formats